Hoyer Urges “No” Vote on Palestinian State while Leading Dem House Members to Israel

Jason Attermann — August 10, 2011 – 4:24 pm | Congress | Democrats | Israel Comments (0) Add a comment

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is currently leading a delegation of 26 Democratic members of the House to Israel. During the visit, Hoyer spoke to a delegation of ambassadors from eighteen countries to discuss the proposed Palestinian plan to seek statehood unilaterally through the United Nations. According to a report of the meeting, Hoyer sought to appeal to the delegates based on “democratic values.” He reaffirmed and explained the Obama Administration’s opposition to the plan, telling them:

The issue is not siding with the United States of America. The issue is reflecting values that you adhere to within your own countries.

It would be a negative action and we believe it will undermine the opportunity for a peaceful positive agreement.

Hoyer and the rest of the delegation also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres. According to The Jerusalem Post, Hoyer told the Congressional delegation that they “are in the presence of a very historical figure.”:

Describing Peres as active, able, and one of Israel’s staunchest defenders and promoters, Hoyer went on to further characterize Peres as ‘Israel’s wise man’ and ‘one of the world’s great men’ whom he credited with ‘extraordinary depth’ and praised as a man of peace reaching out to those people who wished him ill, inviting them to make peace.

Peres thanked the delegation for their support of Israel:

Thank you very much from the depth of my heart. You are always so generous and friendly to our people and our nation.

The Jerusalem Post also reported on connections by some members of the delegation to Israel and the American Jewish community:

This is the fifth Congressional delegation that Hoyer has led to Israel. Some of its members were here for the first time, including one who got married three weeks ago and was on her honeymoon and another who was elected to Congress only four weeks ago, while there was at least one Congressman who has been coming to Israel since 1968.

Hoyer’s first visit was in 1976, which is when he initially met Peres, who was then defense minister. Hoyer quipped that Israel kept creating ministerial positions for Peres to fill. ‘He has been minister of everything and minister of all,’ he said.

He asked each of the delegates to introduce themselves, and as they did so, they also spoke of being overwhelmed by Israel, stating that the visit was a real eye-opener which had enabled them to learn a lot.

Yvette Clark, an African American from Brooklyn, New York, noted that her district was also known as ‘Little Israel,’ while Gwen Moore who is the first African American from Wisconsin and the second woman from Wisconsin to be elected to Congress, made the point that both she and her daughter who was traveling with her, were graduates of North Division High School in Milwaukee, where Golda Meir had also been a student. Not to be outdone, Ed Perlmutter from Denver, Colorado recalled that Golda had also lived in Denver. When Adam Smith of Washington introduced himself, Peres immediately repeated his name in a surprised and questioning tone. ‘Not that one,’ said Smith, alluding to the author of The Wealth of Nations. ‘People have been asking me that my entire life.’

Photo: Mark Naiman/GPO, taken from the Embassy of Israel to the United States website

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