General Dempsey, The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,  Visit to Israel Janury 20, 2012
Channel: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Date: 2012-01-26

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Military, General Martin E. Dempsey, visited Israel On January 19th -- 20th, 2012.  This was General's Dempsey's first visit to Israel, and he was hosted by the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz. 
During his visit, General Dempsey held 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 also met with the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, with the Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, and with the President, Mr. Shimon Peres.
General Dempsey was welcomed to the IDF General Headquarters in Camp Rabin (the Kirya) by an IDF honor guard of soldiers and to the sounds of the national anthems of Israel and the United States of America.  General Dempsey also visited the Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial Museum, where he was very moved by the exhibition.
In brief remarks after the tour, Dempsey noted the significance of the date -- 70 years to the day of the infamous Wannsee Conference held in that Berlin suburb on Jan. 20, 1942. It was at that meeting that senior officials of the Nazi regime discussed their "Final solution to the Jewish problem."
"We are committed to ensuring that such a human tragedy never happens again," Dempsey wrote in the museum's visitor's book.

See photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassyta/sets/72157629051488563/