Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman recently returned from a working trip to Israel designed to address critical issues both in the United States and Israel. Friedman joined mayors from 14 other cities on the visit, organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM). The trip’s working mission was a fact-finding one: to expose American leaders to the lingering devastation wrought by the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, and to brainstorm about methods to counter the rise in antisemitism here at home.
Over the course of 10 days, the group attended meetings with government officials at the Foreign Ministry and met with the city leaders of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Sederot, Ofakim and Modiin Maccabim-Reut. They traveled under armed guard to visit Kibbutz Be’eri and the site of the Nova Festival and met with survivors and family members of the victims of Oct. 7.
The mayors received a report from experts on the psyche of Hamas and its infiltration into the population of Gaza. And they also participated in the MuniExpo 2024 conference, which included a discussion on antisemitism and was attended by hundreds of Israelis.
Friedman was an invited panelist in one of the six conference sessions, entitled “Long-Distance Hatred.” His fellow panelists included the CEO and Director General of The Jewish Agency for Israel, the ADL’s Senior Vice President for International Affairs and the Hessian State Minister of Finance from Germany, who is also the State Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight against Antisemitism. The session attracted a capacity crowd.
Perhaps one of the most moving moments of the tour was not on the official schedule, however. On June 8, Israeli forces dramatically rescued four hostages, to the relief of the entire nation. That evening, Friedman’s delegation participated in an emotional celebration rally in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv that was attended by thousands.
Reflecting on the trip after returning to Beverly Hills, Friedman noted, “It was really amazing to be with all those mayors from different cities. Four mayors came from Florida, others from New York, New Jersey and the mayor of Sandy Springs, Georgia was there. Two of the mayors from New Mexico weren’t Jewish. Not everyone was. But they were very supportive of Israel and are going back,” he said.
He continued, “The antisemitism conference was quite revealing. I spoke there. But it was the people in Israel who were so warm and welcoming of Americans. All they see are the protests at Columbia University and that kind of thing, which is very concerning to them.”
In other words, the visit will carry long-lasting effects, not only in terms of education, networking and fact-finding, but also in goodwill.
