Birthright Israel marks its 18th birthday this year. The program has brought 600,000 young Jews on free trips to Israel since its founding. In this episode of the Associated Press travel podcast “Get Outta Here,” AP Travel editor Beth Harpaz interviews Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark about the program, including some of its controversial aspects. We’ll find out who’s eligible to go, where the funding comes from, how the trips deal with a wide variety of opinions on Israeli politics and the Middle East, and why so many participants say that the night they spend in the Israeli desert is their favorite part of the trip.