Fifty-two law enforcement officers arrived in Israel last week for one week of counter-terrorist training. The delegation includes officers from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, California and Nevada.
The group also chose to visit Israel on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attack, America’s introduction to the global jihad, because of the common enemies which Israel and the U.S. share and Israel’s preeminence in counter-terrorism.
During their stay, the US officers are residing at the new state-of-the-art police academy in Beit Shemesh, where they are participating in multiple counter-terrorism training exercises, and will meet with Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich.
The leader of the delegation, Michael Safris, chief of the Essex County’s Sheriff’s Office Deputy Division, said, “We had demonstrations on different ways they stop vehicles with terrorists, different fighting techniques, including Krav Maga, and how to utilize it, and how they use multiple tactics.”
He added that the academy is on par with the finest US federal law enforcement facilities. He particularly pointed out Israel’s efficiency and advanced tactics, coupled with its ability to enforce the law in a humane manner, despite dealing with countless depraved terrorists.
Craig W. Floyd, president and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund, said, “When you talk about 9/11, that’s really when our war on terror began, and Israel, obviously, has been dealing with terrorist attacks for many years before, so we can certainly learn from your experience and expertise here. We need to work together and build solidarity between law enforcement officers from around the world to combat that terrorism.”
The US delegation was coordinated by Commander Diane Eldad-Sheetrit, head of the International Cooperation Department of the Israeli National Police and is one of 200 such delegations which Israeli hosts annually.