Israel’s envoy to US holds ‘great meeting’ with top House Democrat

WASHINGTON — Israeli Ambassador to the US Mike Herzog meets with Democratic Party’s leader in the House Hakeem Jeffries on the Hill, as Israel’s top diplomat in Washington seeks to move on from recent tensions with the Biden administration.

“I had a great meeting today with Democratic Leader Jeffries, a staunch supporter of Israel. We discussed challenges and opportunities in our region and his upcoming visit to Israel. I thanked him for his deep commitment to Israel-US relations,” Herzog tweets.

Herzog was summoned to the State Department last week where Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman expressed the Democratic administration’s ire with the Knesset’s passing of legislation allowing the resettlement of northern West Bank settlements that were evacuated by Israel in 2005.

A senior US official told The Times of Israel last week that the decision to summon Herzog was due to bubbling frustration over a multitude of issues from the government’s judicial overhaul effort to its policies toward the Palestinians.

I had a great meeting today with Democratic Leader @RepJeffries, a staunch supporter of Israel. We discussed challenges and opportunities in our region and his upcoming visit to Israel. I thanked him for his deep commitment to Israel-U.S. relations. ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/2OxgSk3xF8

— Ambassador Michael Herzog (@AmbHerzog) March 28, 2023