Five U.S. Members of Congress and one U.S. Senator were part of a delegation which visited Hebron last week. Organized by the U.S. Israel Education Association, the group visited the Cave of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs / Tomb of Machpela and other historic and strategic sites in the city. It was organized by Heather Johnston, director of the USIEA who joined the trip. The group spent a week in Israel and visited Jerusalem, Ariel and other cities.

Participants included:

Representative Mac Thornberry TX-R
Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers WA-R
Representative Henry Cuellar TX-D
Representative Steve Russell OK-R
Representative Tom Graves GA-R
and
Senator James Lankford OK-R

The group visited the Beit Hadassah center which dates back to 1893 and heard from Hebron's international spokesperson Yishai Fleisher, director of Tourism Simcha Hochbaum and others. 

 

Fleisher also spoke to the group at the nearby Gush Etzion Winery with an address entitled Five Alternatives to the Two-State Solution.

 An article in the Jerusalem Post quoted several of the participants. Rep. Thornberry stated, "My view is that some of the assumptions that we have all operated under for a long time – that there has to be a two-state solution, a Palestinian state on the West Bank – some of those assumptions are now being questioned... people look at Gaza as a negative example of what can happen."

Senator Lankford,  stated, "I don’t anticipate that there is any set of issues where the table is set for some grand agreement because, even if the political leaders make an agreement, that does not mean that the people on the street will agree to all those things."

Rep. Russell added, "You have really three options when two groups don’t get along. You have accommodation, which is the ultimate goal; you have assimilation, where the stronger side forces the hand of the weaker, and then they accept it; and you have elimination, when neither side want to agree and are determined to eliminate the other. From my perspective as a historian and a soldier, you have Israel, which is willing to do the first two stages – accommodation and assimilation – but have never looked at the third category as a solution... for the other side, the first and only option is elimination.”

 

 

* TOP US CONGRESSMAN: TIME TO THINK BEYOND TWO-STATE SOLUTION - Jerusalem Post

* Sentiment in US Congress tending away from 'two-state solution' - Israel National News

* Rep. Mac Thornberry: Time to Look Beyond Two-State Solution - Breitbart

 

To arrange a guided tour of Hebron contact us. (You don't have to be a Congress Member to visit!)

United States contact info:

http://www.hebronfund.org
1760 Ocean Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11230
718-677-6886
info@hebronfund.org

Israeli contact info:
http://en.hebron.org.il/
02-996-5333
office@hebron.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hebronofficial
 
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