Congressional Leaders Visit Israel as Iran Nuclear Ambitions Take Center Stage

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Knesset Speaker MK Mickey Levy on Monday hosted a bipartisan congressional delegation consisting of over 40 members of the US House of Representatives visiting Israel with AIPAC, as was reported by Israel National News. The group arrived in Israel a week after socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested Israel cages Palestinian kids.

During the meetings, Speaker of the Knesset Levy stressed the importance of ensuring nuclear weapons stay out of Iran’s reach and thanked the congressional delegation for their unwavering support of Israel, according to the INN report.

Speaker of the Knesset MK Mickey Levy: “The United States is our greatest ally and we owe so much for its resilient standing by our side. The bipartisan support in Israel’s right to pursue a peaceful and safe livelihood for its people is a cornerstone of Israeli national security. I am thankful to Members of Congress for passing the Iron Dome funding bill to replace missile interceptors in an unprecedented vote, which will forever go down as one of the greatest displays of support by the American people in Israel. I also send my gratitude to AIPAC for its vital work in strengthening the ties between the Knesset and the Congress and its assistance in advancing Israel’s interests in Washington”.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA): “More than three dozen U.S. lawmakers have traveled to Israel this week to proclaim in-person what has been true for a generation: America supports Israel. That mutual respect has never been based upon what political party is in power—in either country. I want to thank Speaker Levy and the rest of Israel’s leadership for taking the time to meet with us today. Together, we recognize the threat the Iranian regime poses, and we are in agreement in our goals of preserving peace and stability, here and around the world”.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) is serving as the senior member of a group of fourteen House Democrats visiting Israel from February 19 through February 26 to learn more about issues critical to the U.S.-Israel relationship and international security.

“I am pleased once again to join so many House Democrats in traveling to Israel to reaffirm our support for a critical U.S. ally and to continue learning about the opportunities and the challenges facing Israel and the Middle East,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. “Seeing the region firsthand and meeting with key Israeli and Palestinian leaders gives members insights into a region that is vital both to our own national interests and to global security.”

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, representing Manhattan and the Bronx, tweeted a selfie at the Wailing Wall with Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, repping Brooklyn and Queens, and Peter Aguilar of California, as was reported by the New York Post.

“Today, I’m in Israel with@RepPeteAguilar and@RepJeffries — to reaffirm our support for a critical U.S. ally, and to continue learning about the opportunities and challenges facing Israel and the Middle East,” wrote Espaillat, co-chairman of the Latino-Jewish caucus.

The Post reported that Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx was also there.

“I proud to join my Democratic colleagues in meeting with Israeli leadership and affirming, in no uncertain terms, our commitment to not only sustaining but also strengthening the American-Israeli relationship,” Torres said in a text from the “Land of Milk and Honey.”

Torres blasted the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

“BDS is a fringe movement that fails to represent the overwhelming majority of Americans. Our message is clear: the United States is and will always be a friend of Israel,” he said, according to the Post report.

The trip is organized by the American Israel Education Foundation, an independent, nonprofit charitable organization.