Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey arrived in Eretz Yisrael on Sunday, 12 Cheshvan 5773 to get a firsthand look at ongoing military exercises between Israel and the United States dubbed Operation Austere Challenge 12.

The US chief of staff will be in Tel Aviv on Monday 13 Cheshvan for a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz and he will also be meeting in Jerusalem with President Shimon Peres.

On Sunday the chief met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Mr. Barak appreciated the photo-op as he tries to maintain level ground in his ailing election campaign. Polls show Mr. Barak’s Atzma’ut party will not make into Knesset in the upcoming election.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)