My first appointment was with Yisrael Medad, blogger at My Right Word, for a visit to the Har HaBayit (Temple Mount.) This requires some preparation ahead of time. The Israeli guards did not let me bring in all my video equipment, and since the line to enter the area is ridiculously long, it looked like I wouldn't make it up at all. Yisrael nicely convinced the guard to watch my stuff while I took my camera with me.
I haven't seen all the footage yet, and the Israeli police officer who accompanied us was rushing us a bit so the video is not as smooth as I had hoped, but with luck you will get to see a video tour of the (perimeter of the) holiest spot in the world. That will take time to edit well so it might not be until I return to the US.
Then I met with NGO Monitor. Mrs. Elder and I did a video interview with its president, Gerald Steinberg, and then we got to meet the whole staff for a lunchtime Q&A.
After that, we went to visit the Ministry of Strategic Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office where (after going through a grueling security check) I met with Brigadier-General Yossi Kuperwasser, its Director General. I interviewed him as well. He was familiar with my work, which is pretty cool, and we discussed his ministry and how Israel is trying to, belatedly, fight against the delegitimization attempts by her enemies.
So eventually I'll get the videos out. My Friday is very busy with personal stuff and if I was sane I would be sleeping instead of writing this. Sunday, I'm back to doing meetings as Elder.
Since I have no desire to navigate Israeli traffic, I am taking taxis everywhere. This is very expensive. I know that my normal request for donations isn't due for another month, but I would appreciate if you guys can pitch in and contribute.
If all goes well, the material I gather during these two weeks should provide first-hand insights into Israel that you simply cannot get anywhere else. If you believe that this is valuable, please click on the Donate or Subscribe buttons on the upper right corner of this blog and be a partner in getting the truth about Israel published and disseminated.
Here's a preview video to whet your appetite: