Speaker Johnson visits Israeli settlement in occupied West Bank
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House Speaker Mike Johnson and Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. Photo: Courtesy of Shlomi Amsalem/GPO
House Speaker Mike Johnson visited a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Monday as part of a private visit to Israel organized by a pro-Israel advocacy group, according to two Israeli officials.
Why it matters: While many Republican Congress members have visited West Bank settlements, it is highly unusual visit for a speaker of the house to do so.
- Johnson's unannounced trip with a group of Republican lawmakers to Israel and was only made public after Israeli ministers issued statements about their meeting with the delegation.
- Marc Zell, an American-Israeli Republican activist, said Johnson was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the West Bank settlements. He also quoted Johnson as saying the territory was the rightful property of the Jewish people."
Driving the news: The speaker was supposed to visit Israel several weeks ago to address a session of the Israeli Knesset, but his trip was postponed due to the Israel-Iran war.
- Johnson traveled to Israel on Sunday with Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Michael Cloud (R-Texas) and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), who heads the Friends of Judea and Samaria caucus in Congress, which supports Israeli settlements and advocates for annexation of the West Bank.
- Two Israeli officials said Johnson's visit to Israel is expected to be unusually long. He is scheduled to leave on Aug. 10.
- A spokesperson for Johnson did not respond to a request for comment.
Behind the scenes: The trip isn't an official congressional delegation and is designated as a private trip.
- Three Israeli officials with direct knowledge told Axios the trip was organized by Heather Johnston, the founder of the U.S. Israel Education Association, a conservative pro-Israeli advocacy group.
- The Israeli officials said the Israeli embassy in Washington was surprised by the trip and was not involved in its preparation. The Israeli foreign ministry and the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem were also not involved.
- Neither Ambassador Mike Huckabee nor anybody on his team joined Johnson's meetings on Sunday with the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the officials said.
What to watch: The Israeli officials said Johnson and his delegation were expected to travel to Gaza and visit the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid centers.
- They will also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
This story was updated with details after the visit took place.
