New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett. Image by Getty Images

By Naomi Zeveloff February 6, 2017

A New England Patriots tight end is heading to Israel after the team’s historic win on a hasbara, or Israeli public relations tour for American football players.

Martellus Bennett will be joined by 11 other football players from teams including the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders. His Jewish teammate Julian Edelman, whose catch saved the game for the Patriots, is not on the list.

The football players will tour Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Haifa. Their itinerary includes Christian sites in the Galilee and Israel’s Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem. They will meet with representatives of the Black Hebrew community of Dimona.

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They’ll even play a little football with the Israeli Football Association team in an exhibition game.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said he was “sure” that the players will become “ambassadors of good will for Israel.”

Super Bowl hero Julian Edelman won’t be on the tour — but he’s already made headlines by traveling to the Holy Land.

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at zeveloff@forward.com

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