Seeing Israel Together
Not everything IBCA does happens in a hotel function room or an ambassador's residence. Over the years we've organised themed bus trips that take our members out to see the places that matter — historically, politically, and personally — rather than just hear about them from a stage. Some trace the Commonwealth's own history in this country; others take members somewhere that puts today's Israel, not just its past, right in front of them.
A Few Recent Examples
The trip that has stayed with people most is our tour down south to Otef Aza, the Gaza border communities — visiting Sderot, the Nova Music Festival memorial site, and Kibbutz Alumim, one of the communities closest to the Gaza fence. It was a hard trip by design: a chance for members to bear witness to what happened on and since October 7th, rather than only read about it. Of everything we've organised, it's the one that has meant the most.
We've also taken members to the newly opened Jewish Fighters of World War II Museum in Latrun, dedicated specifically to the Jewish soldiers who fought in Allied armies — a story that doesn't get told nearly often enough, and one that connects directly to IBCA's own history with Britain and the Commonwealth in wartime. And we've run a tour through British Mandate–era Jerusalem, tracing the parts of the city's history that speak most directly to IBCA's own founding purpose.
One of our oldest trips took members to the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Memorial Centre and Cemetery in Beersheba, honouring the Commonwealth soldiers who fought and fell there in the First World War — a natural fit for an organisation built around Israel's ties to Britain and the Commonwealth.
Why This Matters to IBCA
Talks and speakers tell you about Israel. Standing in Sderot, or at the ANZAC memorial in Beersheba, or in a museum built to honour Jewish soldiers who wore Allied uniforms, does something a lecture can't. These trips are how we make sure our members don't just hear about the connections between Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth — they see them, on the ground, for themselves.
If you'd like to know about upcoming trips, or about becoming a member, contact us at olivia@ibca.co.il.