American Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power joined Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon for a countrywide tour of Israel to understand the Jewish state's complex security situation.
Following a helicopter tour of the country, Power and Danon were briefed by senior IDF officers on the security challenges facing the Israel.
Among other important strategic locations, the helicopter tour took them for a bird's-eye view of Israel’s narrow Sharon region, Israel's most densely-populated area. Less than 10 miles in width, the coastal plain is sandwiched between the Mediterranean Sea and the Samaria Hills - meaning any Israeli withdrawal from Samaria would put most of the country's civilian population within range of even the most rudimentary of rockets.
The Ambassadors - joined by US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro - then headed south for an in-depth briefing by security officials on the border with Gaza, following which they met with representatives of the border communities to hear about their daily lives under the threat of rocket fire and terrorist attacks from Gaza.
"It was an honor to accompany Ambassador Power as we observed the unique security challenges facing Israel," Danon said.
"Israel has no greater friend than America and I know that the Ambassador seeing firsthand the threats that we face on each of our borders provided her with an even deeper insight to our security needs," he added.