General (****) Martin E. Dempsey to Visit Israel

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Military, General (****) Martin E. Dempsey, will arrive today, Thursday, January 19th, 2012, for a short visit to Israel during a visit to the region. This will be General Dempsey’s first visit to Israel, hosted by the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz. General Dempsey will depart Israel before Shabbat.

During his visit, General Dempsey will hold a private meeting with Lieutenant General Gantz, as well as a briefing with senior commanders of the General Staff, focusing on cooperation between the two militaries, as well as mutual security challenges. During his visit, General Dempsey will also meet with the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, with the Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, and with the President, Mr. Shimon Peres.

General Dempsey will be greeted at the IDF General Headquarters in Camp Rabin (Kirya), by an IDF honor guard of soldiers from the ground, air and naval forces, and to the sounds of the national anthems of Israel and the United States of America. General Dempsey will also visit the Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial Museum, where he will pay respect to the memory of Holocaust victims.

General Dempsey will be accompanied by his spouse, Mrs. Deanie Dempsey, who will be hosted by Mrs. Revital Gantz.