A Recess Destination With Bipartisan Support: Israel and the West Bank
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
NYT
WASHINGTON — Looking for your member of Congress? Try Jerusalem.
More than 80 members of the House are visiting Israel this month as guests of the American Israel Education Foundation, a charity affiliated with the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee. It is the largest number of members of Congress ever to make the trip during a single recess, according to the organizers.
The numbers reflect both the size of the freshman Congressional class, which accounts for 47 of the visitors, and the enduring efforts of Israel to court its most friendly ally, the United States Congress.
Having roughly one-fifth of the House visiting the region is particularly striking when the relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is strained. An effort by Mr. Obama to make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians fell flat this spring. Now the Palestinians are weighing a request to the United Nations Security Council to support a bid for statehood, leaving Washington in the uncomfortable position of blocking such a unilateral move while supporting democracy movements in other Arab nations.
(More here.)
NYT
WASHINGTON — Looking for your member of Congress? Try Jerusalem.
More than 80 members of the House are visiting Israel this month as guests of the American Israel Education Foundation, a charity affiliated with the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee. It is the largest number of members of Congress ever to make the trip during a single recess, according to the organizers.
The numbers reflect both the size of the freshman Congressional class, which accounts for 47 of the visitors, and the enduring efforts of Israel to court its most friendly ally, the United States Congress.
Having roughly one-fifth of the House visiting the region is particularly striking when the relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is strained. An effort by Mr. Obama to make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians fell flat this spring. Now the Palestinians are weighing a request to the United Nations Security Council to support a bid for statehood, leaving Washington in the uncomfortable position of blocking such a unilateral move while supporting democracy movements in other Arab nations.
(More here.)
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