Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi is hosting current and former teammates in Israel this week. His goal is to show off his country and promote peace. From Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee:

"With Kings teammates DeMarcus Cousins and Caron Butler, former teammates Tyreke Evans and Chandler Parsons and 30 others nearing the end of a Casspi-arranged visit to the tiny nation bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, security concerns remain paramount. A security detail has accompanied the group throughout their travels to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, a restaurant near the northern border with Syria and Lebanon, the Holocaust Museum, and a basketball clinic for Israeli and Palestinian youngsters. The itinerary includes another youth clinic and a breakfast meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ... Though reluctant to talk about politicians or controversial political donors, Casspi vehemently denied he was motivated by the boycott campaign. Instead, he said, his intentions are consistent with an ongoing desire to promote his country and use influential NBA stars to nudge young Israelis and Palestinians toward peace and away from conflict."