Coinciding with the anniversary of 9/11, a group of U.S. law enforcement professionals traveled to Israel to learn advanced counterterrorism strategies from their Israeli counterparts.

The fifth session of ADL's National Counter-Terrorism Seminar in Israel (NCTS) took place from September 6-14, 2008. NCTS enables American law enforcement executives to study the counterterrorism tactics, strategies, and lessons learned from their counterparts in the Israel Police, Israel Defense Forces, and Israeli security and intelligence communities.

The program included a walking tour of Jerusalem with Major General Mickey Levy (ret.), who was the Israel Police Commander of the Jerusalem district during the height of the Second Intifada.  He pointed out the sites of numerous terrorist attacks, walking participants through how he heard about and responded to each of them.  Participants also traveled to Netanya, where they met with Netanya's Chief of Police and then visited the Park Hotel, which was the site of the Passover Massacre where 30 people were killed and 140 others were injured during a suicide bombing on March 27, 2002.  They learned how Israel secures its international airport, malls, and public and holy sites. They were able to meet with an Advanced Bomb Technician, as well as Brigadier General Shaike Horowitz, who previously headed the Israel Police's Bomb Squad. 

Participants included Chiefs of Police from: Salt Lake City, UT; Green Bay, WI; Lexington, KY; Mobile, AL; Mesa, AZ; Scottsdale, AZ; DeKalb County, GA; Durham, NC; Omaha, NE; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who also serves as Vice President at Large of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Additionally, the group included a Special Agent in Charge from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the head of Specialized Operations for the City of Miami, and a Deputy Chief from Virginia Beach.

One participant described the program as "the most informative and well coordinated seminar that I have ever attended." Another participant commented that the seminar "increased my awareness of terrorist tactics and strategies, therefore enhancing my abilities to provide for the safety of the communities I serve."