Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), one of Israel’s strongest supporters on Capitol Hill, just returned from a trip to the Middle East that included a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Gottheimer was part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that also stopped in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“As global instability continues to grow, it’s critical that Congress remains directly engaged with our allies and partners in the Middle East to fight terror and support stability in the region,” stated Gottheimer, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
“This bipartisan delegation focused on strengthening our national security, supporting our troops, fighting terror and ensuring America continues to lead with strength,” he stated.
In Israel, the meeting with Netanyahu focused on the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza and the next steps, Iran, the Abraham Accords, Lebanon and U.S.-Israel cooperation, according to the congressman’s office. Netanyahu’s office hadn’t released a readout of the meeting at press time.
Gottheimer stated that it was important for a transitional government to take over Gaza in place of Hamas, as called for in the ceasefire agreement, and to push to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Lawmakers met with the U.S.-led Civil Military Coordination Center that is overseeing the ceasefire to discuss the situation in Gaza, efforts to disarm Hamas and humanitarian aid deliveries.
The delegation also spoke with Erez Askal, director of Israel’s National Artificial Intelligence Directorate, to discuss new technologies and how they could affect security and defense cooperation.
Other topics on the trip included protests in Iran, the security situation in Syria and the Houthis in Yemen, according to Gottheimer’s office.
The group also met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, visited Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to talk to American troops and get briefings on ongoing operations and met with officials in Saudi Arabia.
Discussions in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia also reportedly focused on combatting Iran, which was weakened but not defeated by attacks by Israel and the United States last year aimed at its nuclear facilities.
