Players around the NFL often travel around the globe but few are treated like a visiting dignitary. That’s the greeting that awaits Giant RB Tiki Barber, who on Monday embarks on a week-long stay in Israel at the invitation of Shimon Peres, the former Israeli Prime Minister.

Barber will make an appearance on behalf of the Peres Center for Peace, which attempts to advance understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. One of the ways the center advances that goal is through sports, and Barber is going to speak to young athletes at the Twin Peace Sports Schools. Barber will see Israeli and Palestinian boys playing soccer together on mixed teams and girls doing the same in basketball.

“There isn’t really a mission,” Barber said. “It is part vacation. It is part a cultural experience. And I guess a historical experience. But then in a small part it is to be an encourager of cooperation through sports.”

Along with his wife, Ginny, and others in his traveling party, Barber will stay in Tel Aviv and have dinner with Peres. The Barber traveling party will also visit Jerusalem and tour the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth and/or the Dead Sea.

“You realize it is the Holy Land for almost every religion,” Barber said. “But I never thought about going there. You only think about the negative stuff that goes on over there – the car bombings and the religious unrest between Palestinians and Israelis.

“But I think once you get exposed to something it becomes interesting. And hearing about Peres’ program, which encourages Israeli and Palestinian kids to play sports together, it makes you think about going to see what the rest of the world is like.”

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The Giants yesterday signed rookie linebacker Chase Blackburn (Akron) and waived rookie defensive end Derek Wake.