Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) has instructed her office to add new training courses for Foreign Ministry cadets as part of an increased effort to combat the security situation and Israel's public relations problem in the international sphere.
Additions to the cadet course were formulated together with Foreign Ministry Director Dore Gold and concern, primarily, providing tools to the future ambassadors on how to deal with contemporary issues related to Israeli hasbarah.
The new training includes: knowledge of international law as related to the legality of communities [in Judea and Samaria], recognition of the rules of war in connection with Israel's struggle against terror and defending Israel on issues of ethics and warfare.
In addition, a fresh schedule of tours around the country has been announced.
From now on, cadets will visit the City of David in Jerusalem on a guided tour with David Be'eri, the site's founder. Cadets will also tour the Jordan Valley and the Barkan Industrial Zone in Samaria to view Palestinians working side by side with Israelis firsthand.
Cadets will also attend a new lecture series titled "Tikkun Olam" (repairing the world - ed.), which will address practical applications of the ancient Jewish concept.
The course will last approximately six months, during which cadets will be trained to serve as future representatives for Israel in various capacities around the world.
Hotovely praised the additions to the program, noting that "the cadets starting the course today are intended to become the spearheads of Israel's foreign relations. The purpose of the course is to train young diplomats on many complex fronts Israel faces in the world."
"It's important ambassadors will be able to face challenges like the boycott of Israel and delegitimization of our right to self-defense by connecting fundamental questions to the Jewish people's connection with its land, with emphasis on branding Israel as a trailblazer whose entrepreneurship and technology contribute to humanity as a whole," Hotovely added.