Israel Matzav

Five US Congressmen visit Samaria

Five Republican Congressmen visited the Shomron (Samaria) last week, on a guided tour led by Shomron liaison office director David HaIvri, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed of the Har Bracha yeshiva, Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman and others.

The historic visit began with a bus tour led by Mayor Ron Nachman along the Trans-Samaria highway, where the delegates learned about Israel's narrow waste-line, security needs and strategic provisions. At the Ariel and Barkan Industrial Parks Mayor Nachman discussed co-existence, the 4,000 Arabs employed at the factories and the indiscriminate boycotts imposed by the Palestinian Authority and European Union on products from the factories. Mayor Nachman also showed the group the layout of the Ariel Bloc of communities, and the short distance from the Tel Aviv Coastal Plain.

The Congressmen learned about Judeo-Christian teamwork and at Israel's primary outdoor training facility, the Ariel National Leadership Development Center. From there the group proceeded to the Ariel Regional Center for the Performing Arts, where they enjoyed a private performance by Ariel's young singers and internationally renowned dancers.

Before travelling north, the visit to Ariel culminated with the inaugural Samaria Summit luncheon, where municipal leaders, industrialists, business-people and professional athletes from across Samaria and the Jordan Valley gathered to discuss issues of relevance. Lior Shachory, CEO of the Ariel based Incentive Technology Incubator presented some of the R&D at the award winning center, whereas Eldad Halachmi, VP at Ariel University Center, made reference to U.S. State Department boycotts of R&D funding for academic research due to Ariel's location beyond the green line. The Samaria Summit was the first time that a Congressional delegation engaged face to face with the geo-political realities in one of the most media-covered regions in the world.

Rep. Randy Forbes (R -VA-4th) addressed the Summit by stating his unwavering support for Israel's peace and security. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5th) discussed Israel's inherent value and the commitment of the Congressional Republican Israel Caucus and the Israel Allies Caucus which he co-chairs. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX-1st), who is known for his instrumental role in arranging for Prime Minister to deliver his acclaimed speech to both houses of Congress in May, 2011, explained how Israel cannot sacrifice its own security by relinquishing land to those who are committed to its destruction. They were joined by Congressman John Fleming (R-LA-4th) and Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH-4th), who shared the sentiments of their colleagues.

Wow, it's been five days since they've been there and the State Department hasn't gotten around to condemning them yet.

Read the whole thing.

Labels: David HaIvri, Shomron Liaison Office

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:45 PM