From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 23, 2023
PM meets with McConnell, other GOP senators amid series of congressional visits
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with a group of US Republican senators at his Jerusalem office, headed by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
They are joined by US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides and Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
“You are a true friend of Israel,” Netanyahu says to the Kentucky lawmaker.
The delegation includes Senators Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma), Jodi Ernst (Iowa), Ted Budd (North Carolina), Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and Katie Britt (Alabama).
GOP Senators Tom Cotton (Arkansas) and Jim Risch (Idaho), and Democratic Senator Alex Padilla (California) also met with Netanyahu while in Israel this week. Additionally, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo was in the country.
Netanyahu also met with a Democratic House delegation yesterday led by the lobbying group J Street, including Rep. Katie Porter of California, and a bipartisan House delegation led by the US Israel Education Association.
The Times of Israel Community.