House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., arrived in Israel on Sunday, leading a delegation of House Republicans on his first foreign visit and first trip to Israel since he became speaker.
Johnson’s visit had been originally planned for June but was postponed due to the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran.
On Sunday, Johnson was joined by Texas Reps. Michael McCaul, Nathaniel Moran and Michael Cloud, along with Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., during a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem to pray before meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
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“We’re so grateful to be in Israel, particularly on this day, recognizing the destruction of the two temples … it is such a moving time for us to be here at the Wailing Wall. We’ve offered our prayers, we’ve put our notes into the wall,” said Johnson, who has been vocal about his Christian beliefs and friendship toward Israel.
The delegation visited Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av, the fast day commemorating the destruction of both the First and Second Temples.
“Our prayer is that America will always stand with the people of Israel, and we pray for the preservation and the peace of Jerusalem,” Johnson continued. “That’s what Scripture tells us to do, it’s a matter of faith for us, and commitment that we have.”
In the guest book of the Western Wall, he wrote: “May God continue to bless and protect the people of Israel and its greatest friend and ally, the United States.”
Following the delegation’s meeting with Defense Minister Katz, he thanked the American lawmakers “for their unwavering support and moral clarity in standing with Israel against its enemies, and for their vital voices in the efforts to bring all the hostages home and defeat the murderous terrorist organization Hamas.”
The meeting with Foreign Minister Sa’ar focused on “the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance, the situation in Syria and Gaza, and the significance of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria,” according to his office.
Sa’ar also addressed the “rampant antisemitism currently spreading across the world,” he said, raising “the Irish government’s intention to promote legislation aimed at banning imports from Judea and Samaria,” among several other issues.
He also spoke about the situation in Syria, where American and Israeli policies have diverged in recent months, as the U.S. moves to legitimize the regime of former terrorist and newly appointed president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
“We want two simple things in Syria: the first is security — to prevent the entrenchment of jihadist forces near our border. The second is to prevent harm to the Druze minority. The Druze in Syria have suffered a brutal and barbaric assault. There is now a humanitarian crisis in the As-Suwayda region,” Sa’ar stated.
He also addressed recent calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state, vowing that Israel wouldn’t “commit suicide.”
“We will not agree to a Palestinian state that would be a jihadist Hamas state and would leave Israel with indefensible borders,” he said.
Johnson’s trip was organized by the U.S.-Israel Education Association, whose founder and executive director, Heather Johnston, accompanied the delegation.
During his previous visit, Johnson was scheduled to address the Israeli Knesset. However, a source familiar with his plans told Jewish Insider that no such event is planned for this trip. The speaker’s office has not released additional details about his itinerary.
This article was originally published at All Israel News
ALL ISRAEL NEWS is based in Jerusalem and is a trusted source of news, analysis and information from Israel to our Christian friends around the world.
