This is Robert Weide, one of the visiting directors mentioned in the article which I have only now discovered a year and a half later. I don’t know where all this nonsense about “secrecy” came from. There was nothing covert or secret about our visit. We were quite exposed, quite out in the open, met with and spoke to numerous Israelis from many walks of life. What may be mistaken for secrecy was the mere fact that we didn’t go out of our way to publicize our visit. And why should we? We were there to learn about the state of Israel, not to parade around like a bunch of celebrities or pose for meaningless photo opportunities. Any unneeded attention brought to us would have only been a distraction from our purpose, which was to learn about Israeli life, in ways that might inform our thinking, involve our colleagues, and influence our work. Most of us had our eyes opened in ways that could never be achieved through print, photos, or word of mouth.

So don’t believe everything you read on the web. Someone hears about something from someone who hears about it from someone else, and from this you make a judgment? If you can’t be open minded to those who come to learn and offer support, so be it. But such missions will continue on behalf of the many people who graciously welcomed us to your beautiful and beleaguered nation.