Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, traveled to Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel and met with U.S. diplomats and Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian leaders.
“This trip was an opportunity to meet with Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian leadership and reaffirm America’s commitment to long-term peace in the Middle East,” said Bennet. “In our meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, we underscored that degrading Hamas’ military capabilities, fighting for the hostages’ release, and protecting and delivering aid to Palestinian civilians cannot be mutually exclusive. We stressed the continued importance of a two-state solution that ensures Israel’s security and fulfills Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for self-determination. Such a solution will not reward Hamas and its Iranian backers, as some Israeli leaders have suggested, but repudiate their visions of extremism and chaos by proving that peace and coexistence can succeed. I return home in firm belief that the United States must continue to play a leadership role in shaping a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.”
“My visit to Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel has underscored the critical role the United States must continue to play in promoting and ensuring long term stability and peace in the region,” said Booker. “Our discussions reaffirmed the urgent need to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza to adequately address the magnitude of suffering on the ground. It’s imperative the United States uphold our commitment to reducing the loss of life in the region while redoubling our efforts to bring Israeli hostages home. We must continue negotiating and brokering a peace agreement that ensures the safe release of the hostages in tandem with a restored mutual ceasefire. And we must remember that the path towards a just and lasting peace is dependent upon our commitment to a comprehensive two-state solution, in which we affirm and protect Israel’s right to exist as a democratic Jewish state and ensure the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and a state of their own.”
In Jordan, Booker and Bennet met with U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Yael Lempert, senior U.S. Embassy staff, and Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh. In the meeting with Prime Minister Khasawneh, the senators committed to continue strengthening U.S.-Jordan relations, expressed gratitude for Jordan’s regional leadership, and discussed the necessity of a two-state solution. The delegation also met with United Nations representatives to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and how the United States can better deliver aid to those in need.
In the West Bank, the senators met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Head of the Palestinian Authority’s General Authority of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh. The delegation discussed the importance of access to humanitarian assistance in Gaza, West Bank stability, and Palestinian Authority reform efforts as part of a pathway toward a Palestinian state.
In Israel, the senators received briefings from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew, senior U.S. Embassy staff, and U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Fenzel, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Bennet and Booker also met with Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, and opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid.