EDMOND—Ambassador Meir Shlomo, the consul general of Israel to the southwest United States, visited the campus of Herbert W. Armstrong College on February 27, delivering a short speech about his country’s relationship with its neighboring Arab states and other nations. He also viewed the Seals of Jeremiah’s Captors Discovered exhibit.

Ambassador Shlomo and his political affairs officer arrived at the auditorium lobby  ahead of his early afternoon address and toured its archaeological exhibit, which includes first temple-period artifacts on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The ambassador talked about Israel’s perilous relationship with Arab nations in the region, with Israelis suffering Saddam Hussein’s missiles in the 1990 Gulf War, and Hamas’s missiles from the Gaza Strip today. He also focused on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, saying that world powers should take the “Can you sleep at night?” test to determine whether they should allow Iran to continue enriching fissile material, as November’s Geneva negotiations permit. He said the Islamic Republic’s track record has been to spread terror, and its leadership has spelled out its intent for the future: “to wipe Israel off the map.”

Ambassador Shlomo also talked for a couple of minutes about Israel’s thriving economy and its high-tech exports, as well as its improving diplomatic relations with eastern nations and European nations. Afterward, he took a few questions from the audience about Israel’s relationship with the United States and other nations.

Following his address, the ambassador met with Pastor General Gerald Flurry in the grand lobby. They discussed his remarks, and the ambassador inquired about the church’s work in Israel. The pastor general thanked the ambassador for taking the time to visit Herbert W. Armstrong College and remarked, “You represent your country well.”

The Ambassador said he felt relaxed during his address because he was among an audience friendly to Israel. “It’s easier when you’re speaking to the ‘home team,’” he said.

Ambassador Shlomo has served as consul general of Israel to the Southwest since mid-2010. He has 30 years of experience in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The previous night, he attended an Oklahoma City Thunder NBA basketball game with representatives from Herbert W. Armstrong College. This evening, he attended a reception in his honor in the balcony lobby of Armstrong auditorium, and he will also attend a performance by the Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel during its first tour of the United States.

Ambassador Shlomo’s visit follows visits by Beylanesh Zevadia, a consulate representative (now Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia) in 2008 and Ambassador Yoram Ettinger (ret.) in 2009. Both delivered addresses to the hwac student body. In December 2012, the consulate’s director of cultural affairs, Guy Cohen, visited the auditorium and viewed the archaeological exhibit.