Catawba County Sheriff’s Office

One of the organizations that organize and sponsor these trainings is the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF). The AIEF is a 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the Congress and Executive Branch of the United States. AIEF is AIPAC’s charitable arm and makes grants to AIPAC as well as funds trips to Israel for politically influential Americans, including U.S. Congress members, for meetings with the Israeli political and military elite. In 2017 alone, AIEF sponsored 147 congressional trips to Israel and spent $2.16 million, more than any other interest group sponsoring congressional travel.

The Sheriff’s Office of Catawba County, North Carolina, is among the departments that have sent delegates to Israel. David Huffman served as Sheriff of Catawba County between 1982 and 2010. Sheriff Huffman attended a training in Israel through AIPAC as a delegate of AIEF. He was reappointed as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Crime Commission, a chief advisory body to the Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety on crime and justice issues. The Commission administers federal grants for technology and equipment to police departments and law enforcement agencies across North Carolina.