Along with Francis Kalifat, CRIF President (Representative council of Jewish institutions of France), and the official delegation of the CRIF Executive Committee, Serge Dahan, CRIF Executive Committee member and B’nai B’rith Europe President, participated in the Meeting and Dialogue trip to meet with Israeli officials, in 2018.

During this four-day trip organised by the CRIF President, delegation members met with the Israel President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The meetings provided the opportunity for long and enriching exchanges, with notably Deputy Director General and Head of Public Diplomacy for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Noam Katz, Director of the Department of Jewish communities for the MFA Akiva Tor, newly elected President of the Jewish Agency and Knesset Member Isaac Herzog, and Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs, Gilad Erdan.

The trip allowed members of the delegation to better understand the stakes of the Israeli society and politics. They also raised awareness of the difficulties European Jews face when settling down in Israel, including exclusion issues, to ensure their contribution to the Israeli society. Other topics have been raised during these meetings. Among them, the regional and complex challenges Israel face, the international outreach of Israel with high-technology start-ups, the economic growth and its benefits for Israeli citizens. 

To conclude this trip, Her Excellency Hélène Le Gal, Ambassador of France in Israel, welcomed the CRIF Executive Committee delegation for a lunch in the private residency in Tel Aviv.