Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, is among the departments that have sent delegates to Israel. John Whetsel served as Sheriff of Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office between 1997 and 2017. Sheriff Whetsel attended a training in Israel through AIPAC as a delegate of the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF). Sheriff John Whetsel also participated in a National Sheriff’s Association conference in Charlotte, NC where the keynote speaker was a retired officer in the Israeli National Police.