An Israeli official confirmed Tuesday that a delegation of US senators visiting Israel this week asked not to meet far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir or any members of their hardline factions.
The request was made by the office of Democratic Senator Jackie Rosen, who is co-leading the bipartisan delegation with Republican Senator James Lankford, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel, confirming a report on the Axios news site.
the biden administration is so far restrained By publicly announcing such a boycott, Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained that the US would influence the new hardline Israeli government with its policies rather than its policies. Other Biden officials, such as Ambassador Tom Nides to Israel, have said his main negotiator in Jerusalem will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold him directly responsible for the moves by his far-right allies.
But others in the Democratic Party appear less comfortable with Netanyahu’s coalition, which has been voted the most right-wing in Israel’s history. The fact that the request came from Rosen, who is seen as one of the most pro-Israel members of the Democratic caucus, also shows how widespread the unease is in Washington, particularly in Biden’s party.
Smotrich, who is finance minister as well as the minister in charge of West Bank policy in the defense ministry, has long advocated annexing large parts of the West Bank without granting equal rights to the Palestinians in those territories. He has also expressed hostile views towards Arab Israelis and LGBTQ persons.
Ben Gevir, who serves as Minister of National Security, holds many of Smotrich’s views and is a self-described disciple of the late racist Rabbi Meir Kahane. He was convicted of terrorist crimes because of his support of Kahn’s outlawed Kach movement and has long advocated deporting “unreliable” Arab Israelis.
US Senators Michael Bennett, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jackie Rosen, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Sens. Mark Kelly, Dan Sullivan, James Lankford and Ted Budd in Rabat on January 15, 2023. (Jackie Rosen / Twitter)
Both Ben Gwyr and Smotrich have also reiterated neglectful The comments toward Reform Judaism were likely not to sit well with Joe Rosen, who was president of his Reform synagogue in Nevada before entering Congress.
Smotrich’s office confirmed that he currently has no meeting with the delegation of seven US senators. A spokesperson said he was busy preparing the next annual budget and came to know about the delegation only through media reports.
Ben Gwir’s office declined to say whether such a meeting would take place, but issued a statement claiming that the Axios reporter who broke the story was involved in a politically motivated “campaign” against the national security minister. Included.
“Over the past few weeks there have been numerous requests from senators, ambassadors, consuls and international officials to meet with the Minister, [the reporter] again chose to campaign against Minister Ben Gvir,” the statement read. “The minister is busy with ministry matters but still finds time for these important meetings with diplomats around the world to strengthen Israel’s position in the world Hope to get out.”
The delegation, which also includes Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand, Michael Bennett and Mark Kelly along with Republicans Dan Sullivan and Ted Budd, is set to meet with Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and other Israeli lawmakers in the Knesset.
The lawmakers are part of the Senate’s Abraham Accords Congressional Caucus, which was established last year along with a parallel panel in the House of Representatives to expand the legislative branch’s role in promoting normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel Could Morocco.
Israel will be the last stop on the visit of delegations from all the four Abraham Accord countries that began last Thursday.
Spokespeople for Rosen and Lankford did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
