Democratic senators to visit Israel, West Bank in first since Bennett took charge

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A group of leading Democratic senators will visit Israel and the West Bank later this week as part of a Middle East trip covering regional security and democracy, the first such visit since Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took office in June.

Sen. Chris Murphy, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee that deals with the Middle East, is leading the group, which also includes Sens. Jon Ossoff, Chris Van Hollen and Richard Blumenthal.

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The senators have each been notably outspoken on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during their respective tenures, being among the most vocal proponents in Washington urging the Israeli government to improve treatment of the Palestinians and pushing the Biden administration to take a more active role in dealing with the conflict.

“New leadership and simmering crises dot the landscape of the Mediterranean right now,” the senators said in a joint statement. “We look forward to speaking directly with key actors in the region, especially the new Israeli government and Palestinian leadership.” they continued, adding that “America must be a force for good in the Middle East and North Africa, and we look forward to a productive trip.”

The visit comes days after Prime Minister Bennett visited Washington for the first time since assuming office in June. He did not meet with any congressional leaders during his trip to the U.S., though he spoke by phone with Democratic leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

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It also comes on the heels of an unexpected meeting between Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The two agreed upon Israeli-Palestinian confidence building measures, aimed at easing the Palestinian Authority’s financial woes and improving security coordination.

The delegation is set to visit several countries in the region during the trip. The group arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday and will head to Israel and the West Bank later in the week, after which Murphy and Ossoff will continue on to Greece and Tunisia. The other countries on the tour are dealing with their own fraught moments as well, being rocked by various political, economic and environmental crises. The senators hope to address these issues, saying “This trip will also give us the chance to discuss the path forward to protect democracy in Tunisia and address the economic and political crisis in Lebanon.”