After meeting on Wednesday at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) visited Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Border Police officers who have been injured in the war at the rehabilitation ward of Hadassah Hospital Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu thanked Mast—who lost both of his legs serving in Afghanistan—”for his unwavering support of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF,” per the Israeli Government Press Office.
At the hospital, Netanyahu and Mast heard from the injured warriors “and were impressed by their dedication to the goal and sense of mission,” per the readout. “They were also updated on their medical status and the rehabilitation process at the hospital, which has received many wounded during the fighting.”
Mast, who told JNS earlier this year that he’s proud to be the only member of Congress to wear both IDF and U.S. Army uniforms, shared with the wounded Israelis how he coped with his injuries.
Mast wore his uniform earlier this year to counter a Palestinian flag that Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) placed outside her office. “Tlaib’s got her flag, I’ve got my uniform,” he said.
Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu’s chief of staff; Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil, military secretary; Yuval Adar, deputy director of Hadassah; Dr. Tamar Elram, director of Hadassah-Mt. Scopus; and Col. Dr. Avi Banov, IDF chief medical officer joined the prime minister and congressman on the visit.