41 U.S. Democrats land in Israel for AIPAC-affiliated tour

Forty-one US Democrats landed in Israel yesterday as part of a tour organised by the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), the educational branch of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Every non-election year AIEF organises an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel for “freshman” members of Congress which, in the organisation’s own words, “help educate [US] political leaders and influentials about the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship through firsthand experiences in Israel”.

The delegation will spend one week in Israel, during which it is slated to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as de facto leader of the opposition and Netanyahu’s main election rival, Benny Gantz, who heads the Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) party.

The Democrats will also meet Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

The group is being led by Steny Hoyer, a Maryland congressman who currently serves as the Democrat’s house majority leader. A statement by Hoyer’s office said that the delegation will “learn about issues critical to the US-Israel relationship and international security,” which will include visiting Israel’s northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, an Iron Dome battery and historical and cultural sites.

“I am pleased to join so many House Democrats in traveling to Israel to reaffirm our support for a critical US ally and to continue learning about the opportunities and the challenges facing Israel and the Middle East,” Hoyer added.