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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stands with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and other House Democrats in Jerusalem on Tuesday. (AP)
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08/06
Haaretz |
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| By Ellis Shuman August 7, 2003 |
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Louisiana 7th District Congressman Chris John and his wife Payton are part of one of the largest delegations of U.S. House of Representatives members ever to visit Israel, but the couple nearly wasn't permitted to enter the country. Upon departure from New York's JFK Airport, the Johns were shocked to discover that they had left their passports at home.
Due to his position, American officials allowed John to depart for Israel without his passport, but they had to urgently work behind the scenes to ensure that there would not be a problem at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Yediot Aharonot reported.
A representative of AIPAC, the organization sponsoring the visit of nearly 60 members of Congress to Israel this summer, immediately called Israel's Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon and asked for his assistance, the newspaper reported. Israel's Foreign Ministry was enlisted and contacted Interior Ministry authorities at Israel's airport, asking them to allow John and his wife to enter the country despite the fact that they didn't have their passports with them.
According to the newspaper report, airport authorities initially rejected the request, but then talks led to a creative solution. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv issued two ad hoc transit documents, which were rushed to the airport to await John's arrival.
Before his departure, the Louisiana Democratic congressman stated, "In our post 9/11 world, new and more strategic defense and security issues - both here at home and in the Middle East - make this visit a timely one. Meeting with both Israeli and Palestinian officials will give my colleagues and me an in-depth understanding of the 'road map' for peace and the steps being taken to restore security in the region. As a Catholic, the chance to experience the rich history of the birthplace of Christianity is an opportunity I look forward to."
In addition to visiting several historical areas in the Holy Land, Congressman John said he would use the trip to gain insight on fundamental issues of security, peace negotiations, defense cooperation, commerce and trade.
The delegation of 29 Democratic members of the House met this week with Knesset members, with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).
Israel is "the world's most courageous democracy," stated House of Representatives Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD). "We are together in the struggle against terrorism," he added.
The August 2-10 trip to Israel is sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), a supporting organization of AIPAC. AIEF is an educational foundation that sponsors programs such as trips to Israel, seminars on Middle East issues, and other projects to help educate the public about U.S.-Israel relations. The goal of the trip is to provide Congressional leaders with first-hand knowledge of the U.S.-Israel relationship, the prospects for peace in the Middle East, and the status of important economic and political trends in Israel.
The first member to arrive was House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), who met with Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, visited the recently re-opened Moment Cafe, and gave a speech last week at the Knesset strongly reaffirming America's support for Israel in its war against terror.
Twenty-two Republican congressmen will visit Israel later this month.
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