Today, the AFUWOFI team went to Israel! After a "jam-packed" day at the airport, we managed to get away from our parents and went through the lines of security. We went through security with ease and headed to the first flight heading to Philadelphia. With only an hour on the plane, the first plane ride went by with no challenge. Then came the layover. With a three and a half hour layover, the AFUWOFI gang had time to explore the airport. Waiting to board the plane to Israel, I interviewed a fellow passenger.

Gil Hoffman was raised in Chicago, studied at Northwestern University's School of Journalism, and now lives in Israel with his wife and kids. He is the chief political correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and is well connected with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He is known as the "most optimistic man in Israel" by Israel Television, and has been interviewed by many major news stations and major figures around the world.

Q: Do you find that teenagers follow their parents' political views?

A: Typically, children in Israel are more informed about politics than children in America. For example, the news Chanel is ranked as the third highest viewed Chanel in Israel.  When kids grow up in Israel, they are encouraged to be involved with politics.

Q: Why can't people find a political party that has the same views as them concerning political issues AND economic issues?

A: Even if there were many political parties, it is very rare that there will EVER be one party that has all of the same views as anyone else.

Q: Do people usually stay with the same political party their whole life?

A: It used to be like that, but then everyone started changing their opinions and views because they did not connect or agree with the views of the groups anymore. In the past, sticking with a political group was like having a "marriage", but now people typically change opinions and do not stick with the same ones their whole life.

Q: Do adolescents usually have opposite feelings and views than their parents or other adults?

A: When growing up, kids typically have extreme views. If they want to keep all of the land then they want to keep ALL of the land, and if they want to share with Palestine then they want to SHARE everything with Palestine. When they grow up though, they usually settle down and become more moderate. In this day and age, younger kids usually side with the right wing around issues of peace and security.

Our wonderful leader Hadar led a discussion on women leadership in Israel.  Having traveled for 24 hours, the session was much shorter than what would do the subject justice.  Normally, these blogs are written in Q & A format, and indeed this discussion followed that path; however, it was Hadar who asked the questions, and the WOFI ambassadors who responded.

Q: What are some characteristics of a leader?

A: Charisma, responsibility, confidence, patience, bravery, knowledgeable, etc.

Q: What are some characteristics of a woman leader?

A (boys): The same qualities; however, they must be even stronger because the world is full of sexism, and they must persevere in order to succeed and be a great and impactful leader.

A (girls): The same qualities.

Q: Who are some female leaders?

A: [We were able to name two]

Q: Who are some male leaders?

A: [The names were spilling out from all corners of the room]

It was evident that women leaders are not as well known (if known at all) by the group.  Hadar distributed bios of various female leaders, and in small groups we read and digested just why these women were such good leaders.  After, we discussed our newfound admiration for the women to the entire group.  All of these women, from various fields, are inspirational, and influence many Israelis on all different levels.  I encourage everybody to research at least one of these women, as they are underappreciated in the media and in the topic of Israeli leaders.  These women are: Rita Yahan-Farouz, Anat Hoffman, Orna Banai, Keren Or Leibovitch, Yael German, Ruth Calderson, Stav Shaffir, and Shelly Yachimovich.

Hadar admitted that it is unfortunate that we need this session, and I agree.  She even stated it took her a surprisingly long time to discover only eight female leaders.  The fact that women leaders must be singled out because normal conversation of leaders does not include them is saddening. However, only the gaining and spreading of knowledge can allow Israeli women leaders to be a term of the past, and rather just referred to as leaders of Israel.