Connect with us

International

The bipartisan congressional delegation concludes a first ME trip since COVID

 


WASHINGTON – A bipartisan congressional delegation returned to the U.S. on Monday after spending a week in the Middle East, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Qatar. This was the first congressional delegation to any destination since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired the committee and it included nine members from both parties.
“This was the first congressional delegation since the pandemic began a year and a half ago,” Brad Schneider (D-IL) told Jerusalem Post. “I think it’s significant that we made the decision that the first delegation would be in Israel.”

“One of the reasons we wanted to be there, in particular [is] to show our continued support for US-Israel relations, “he said.” We have expressed that support for Israel. “We talked a lot about normalization, the Abrahamic Agreements and the hope that the four agreements signed last year are the beginning of more agreements and expanded engagement within the region.”

He went on to say that it was also important to note “that this was the first time the Palestinians were willing to talk to the US government as well for a while”.

“And we have had, I think, constructive talks there. Hopefully, leading to engagement with the Israeli government, trying to address many of the challenges in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

In Ramallah, the delegation raised the Taylor Force Act, Rep Schneider said. “We reiterated our concerns about payments [to individuals who commit acts of terrorism.] this is actually the third time I am in Ramallah. I had similar conversations in 2019 and 2017, raising concerns about these payments. And there we had a very honest conversation. “We are trying to make sure that any attempt to rebuild Gaza does not go to Hamas.”

“Hamas used the conflict in May to strengthen their stance,” he said. “We must ensure that not only does Hamas not receive any resources as the international community seeks to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza; but also that the people of Gaza and the West Bank understand that Hamas is responsible for the destruction and as much as possible. to be, Hamas is the one who holds in many ways the prospects of advancing the interests of the Palestinian people. “

In their meetings with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Bennett and Foreign Minister Lapid, the parties “talked a lot about Iran directly, but also, the Iranian threat affects talks on almost everything else,” Schneider said. “There is a broad understanding that Iran should never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, that it is more than just Iran’s nuclear fuel program, but also their ballistic missiles, as well as their other activities: support for terrorism. and the sponsorship of Hamas, Hezbollah, et cetera, which make Iran such a major threat to the region and the world. “

The delegation also visited Qatar to meet with the country’s leaders. “We raised the issue of the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza; to make sure that we are not advancing the agenda of Hamas interests,” he said. “Recognition that Hamas is a terrorist organization, not a political organization with a terrorist branch, but the organization itself at its core, is a terrorist organization.”

The delegation arrived in Jerusalem and participated in the celebration of the Independence Day of the American Embassy. “Being at the US embassy in Jerusalem, something I have worked on on a personal level for the last 25 years, and then being there celebrating the Fourth of July was an emotional moment. It was really extraordinary, “he said.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) told The Post that it was his fourth trip to Israel, “and I always learn something new whenever I’m there.”

“I am constantly inspired by the people of Israel and I just like going back to Jerusalem; We learned a lot from the government and the leadership, and also, there were some departures from our visit to Ramallah and Qatar as well,” he said.

“The fact that this is coming to the heels of the May war in Gaza – we wanted to learn more about this and also to meet with Prime Minister and Minister Lapid and understand this new government,” Barr said. Speaking about his meeting with Prime Minister Bennett, Barr said Iran was the focus of discussion. “[Bennet] stressed to all of us as a bipartisan group that the previous JCPOA was totally deficient from the point of view of the sunset clause, from the point of view of the inadequacy of inspections and verification. And also, he stressed the importance of addressing the non-nuclear aspects of this problem with Iran. And that means its ballistic missile program; its destabilizing activities in the region of support for representatives of terrorism “.

“I brought up the China issue, and some of my colleagues did too,” Barr said. “China made some significant investments in Israel and Israel is an important defense partner and strategic partner for the United States. The pandemic was a real wake-up call regarding the activities of the Chinese Communist Party and their Belt and Road Initiative, efforts “And we stressed the importance of not integrating the Israeli economy and of course the Israeli security with China, which we see as a major threat.”

“The delegation, in a very partisan way, appreciated the Abrahamic Agreements and what it means for stability and security in the region,” he noted.

He said the Palestinian leadership was upset about the deals because they have lost much of their international power. “The Palestinian people deserve leadership, like the leadership in the UAE and Bahrain to see value in negotiating peace and normalization with the Israelis. I think it is a threat to the PA that you have other Arab countries in the region that are capable. “to confidently negotiate peace with the Israelis,” he said.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/bipartisan-congressional-delegation-concludes-a-first-me-trip-since-covid-673860

The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos

ExBUlletin

to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]