Merrill after Israel trip: 'I have identified new ways in which we can strengthen our state’s security'

Secretary of State John Merrill has returned from Israel, and in a Monday release he reflected on his productive trip.

Merrill last week was a part of a bipartisan delegation of American secretaries of state that visited Jerusalem to discuss cybersecurity policies and best practices for business services and election administration. The trip, which was conducted through the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Project Interchange, was 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 was merely the latest example.

Alabama’s popular secretary of state had the unique opportunity to meet with Ambassador Yuval Rotem, the director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who works to administer Israel’s foreign policy and establish stronger relations with other countries.

“Strengthening social and governmental relationships with Israel at the state level allows Alabama to have a strong economic and political partner in Israel, and further enabled me to understand how they secure their electoral process, which was my primary goal in visiting,” Merrill explained in a statement.

The latter half of the week reportedly included meetings with local Israeli government leaders including Haim Bibas, chairman of Israel’s Federation of Local Authorities, and various representatives from Knessett (Israeli Parliament).

“Meeting with local leaders last week reinforced my belief that in order to ensure the entire state is prepared for the 2020 election cycle, we must continue our efforts with all of Alabama’s 67 counties,” Merrill outlined. “Discussing security measures as they relate to elections with numerous experts on the matter, including Supreme Court Justice Hanan Melcer, the Head of Central Election Commission, has allowed me to consider an entirely new set of perspectives and opinions.”

Through visits to Ramallah, the administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority, the Municipal Innovation Center, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Old City of Jerusalem and other historic landmarks, Merrill also fostered a deeper understanding of Israel’s rich history and how the country has overcome serious challenges.

One of the highlights of his trip was a helicopter survey of defensive positions and areas of strategic concern. This survey took Merrill to four different areas of evaluation, including the Holy Land, the West Bank region, up the northern border of Lebanon and other areas under constant threat of siege.

“Seeing Israel from the Ariel view allowed me to fully understand how the country has been successful in fending off any group looking to cause harm,” Merrill said.

He concluded, “I am incredibly grateful to the representatives at NASS and AJC for making this experience possible. In collaborating with Israeli government, academia, and the private sector, I have identified new ways in which we can strengthen our state’s security.”

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn