Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, who has become synonymous with his dedication to visiting all 67 counties each year, is expanding his horizons once again, traveling to Israel this week as a part of a bipartisan delegation of American secretaries of state.
The delegation will visit Jerusalem to discuss cybersecurity policies and best practices for business services and election administration, according to a release from Merrill’s office.
The trip, which is being conducted through the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Project Interchange, is a week-long educational seminar also intended to strengthen United States–Israel relations at the state level.
As co-chair of the National Association of Secretaries of State international relations committee, Merrill has been working to advance American alliances through various meetings and visits with foreign leaders. This is merely the latest example.
“I look forward to working with government and business leaders from across the political and social spectrum, including representatives from Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, to identify proactive steps we in America can take to protect the integrity of our elections,” Merrill said in a statement.
Joining Merrill in Israel will be Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way, West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner and Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan.
RELATED: Alabama officials seek greater collaboration, investment between Israel and business in the state
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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