A group of cyclists that participated in a solidarity bike tour of Israel. Photo: FIDF via Facebook.

JNS.org – A group of United States cyclists recently joined wounded veterans of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on a solidarity bike tour of Israel.

Some 37 cyclists from the organization American Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) took a cross-country bike ride with the Israeli vets, who had all benefited from the FIDF’s rehabilitative programs and prosthetic devices.

“This cycling tour was an incredible opportunity to bring FIDF supporters together with Israeli soldiers and strengthen the bonds between them,” said FIDF Cycling Tour leader Dany Saar, a former IDF soldier and cyclist living in West Bloomfield, Mich. “Biking across Israel with wounded veterans allowed participants to really connect with the brave men and women benefiting from FIDF programs.”

The bike tour began in northern Israel near the Sea of Galilee (“Kinneret” in Hebrew) and covered more than 400 miles with a total vertical climb of 32,000 feet. The tour concluded in six days at Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean beach.

Along the way, the group visited Israeli military bases, national landmarks and ancient historical sites.

FIDF was established by a group of Holocaust survivors in 1981 and has more than 150,000 supporters today.