Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, joined 24 of his House colleagues in a trip to Israel led by the Minority Whip of the House Eric Cantor. The trip, from August 2 to August 8, 2009, is an opportunity for Members of Congress to learn more about U.S.-Israel relations, the Middle East peace talks, and Israel’s security situation.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres and with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Salam Fayad,” said Thompson. “Being on the ground to see the areas we only hear about in the news and to talk to both sides in this controversy will be invaluable as these issues come up before the Congress.”
The trip involves a rigorous schedule of meetings, briefings and tours of areas like Sderot, which is on the border of the Gaza Strip and has been the scene of kassam rocket attacks over the last eight years.
Thompson and the other Members of Congress will also be meeting with the Israeli press and will be briefed by the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
The American Israel Education Foundation is sponsoring the trip. It is the charitable organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The Foundation sponsors education programs such as trips to Israel for community leaders and elected officials, seminars on Middle East issues at universities across the country and other projects that help to educate the general public about U.S-Israel relations.