On Tuesday night, Jewish Federation Los Angeles hosted a special evening at Paramount Studios with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Accompanied by his wife Sara, he was in Los Angeles for the world premiere of Israel: The Royal Tour, hosted by CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg. Attendees of the screening included major supporters of The Jewish Federation, Jewish community leaders, and invited guests of the Israeli Consulate. Following a reception in a courtyard on the Paramount lot, our guests were privileged to meet with and hear a few brief remarks by the Prime Minister, who was introduced by our Chairman of the Board, Les Bider, before going into the theater to watch the film.
As described by PBS, Israel: The Royal Tour is an unprecedented tour inside the country, an up-close-and-personal journey with a very special guide: the Prime Minister of Israel. The one-hour special, premiering on public television stations beginning tonight, provides an all-access pass into – and across – the entire country, led by the one man who knows it best. Prime Minister Netanyahu takes Greenberg by helicopter, ship, dune buggy and bicycle throughout Israel to explore the country’s iconic destinations: from climbing Masada to walking the streets in the Old City of Jerusalem; from the Mediterranean beaches of Tel Aviv to the holy sites below the Western Wall; from the Jordan River to the Temple Mount. With both breathtaking aerial footage of camels in the desert and underwater videography that captures wild dolphins swimming in Eilat, this program offers a glimpse of a country that is small in geography but vast when it comes to the history of the Jewish people. Not only will you get a taste of everything Israel offers its residents and tourists alike, you’ll learn fascinating tales of its storied past as well as Netenyahu’s path to becoming the prime minister. Greenberg and Prime Minister Netanyahu also sit down for a frank discussion of the situation in the region, and discuss Palestinian statehood and the prospects for a real peace.
This was Netayahu’s first visit to Los Angeles since 2006. The day before, he was in Washington, D.C. for a meeting with President Barack Obama. Check out the PBS website for air times of Israel: The Royal Tour.
