The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Visits the IDF

A congressional delegation led by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mrs. Nancy Pelosi, visited the IDF yesterday (Wednesday). Speaker Pelosi has shown long-standing support for the State of Israel and the IDF. The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Michael Herzog, and the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Major General Herzi Halevi, accompanied Speaker Pelosi throughout her visit.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Michael Herzog: "Israel and the United States have a long and strong partnership which is reflected by an equally close friendship with the U.S. Congress. I wish to thank Speaker Pelosi for her steadfast support for Israel and Israel's right and ability to defend itself. This strong bond between our countries promotes stability, peace and democracy in the Middle East."

Deputy Chief of the General Staff, MG Herzi Halevi: “The connection between the United States of America and the State of Israel runs deep and strong. This partnership is based on the shared values of our two nations and the strategic advantage gained through international cooperation. When we work together we can better promote stability both in the region and around the world. On behalf of the Israel Defense Forces, thank you Speaker Pelosi for your visit and for your ongoing support of the IDF and the State of Israel.”

The delegation visited the Palmachim Airforce Base and received a security briefing by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, MG Herzi Halevi. MG Halevi presented Speaker Pelosi with an overview of the security challenges facing the State of Israel, firstmost being the hostile Iranian regime. Iran continues to entrench itself and fund its terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, throughout the region. The Deputy Chief of the General Staff emphasized the need for the international community to mobilize and take comprehensive and long-term actions to stop Iran’s aggression throughout the region and the world. 

Speaker Pelosi was also briefed on the ongoing crisis in Lebanon exacerbated by the Hezbollah terrorist army. Hezbollah continues to manufacture and store weapons and explosive materials in civilian areas in Lebanon. MG Halevi also spoke about the security situation within Israel’s borders in Judea and Samaria. The IDF has recently conducted a variety of operations to thwart terrorist cells operating in the area. These terrorist groups plan and carry out attacks against both Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

The Deputy Chief of the General Staff presented Speaker Pelosi with a comprehensive report on the details surrounding the tragic death of Mr. Omar Abdelmajed Assad. The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi, stated that the incident surrounding Mr. Assad’s unfortunate death went against the IDF’s values.

As part of her visit, Speaker Pelosi visited an Iron Dome Aerial Defense battery and was presented with the Iron Dome’s life-saving capabilities. Following last May’s escalation, the United States House of Representatives debated whether or not to approve a bill to replenish the Iron Dome interceptors used during the operation. In September, the House of Representatives passed the “Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act” with overwhelming support. This bill provided Israel with one billion U.S. dollars to resupply the Iron Dome interceptors. The Iron Dome Aerial Defense system has one purpose—to protect civilians from terrorist attacks. Each strike the IDF carries out is carefully planned based on accurate intelligence and faces a comprehensive approval process. In contrast, Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip indiscriminately launch rockets at populated Israeli cities.