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FIRST ON FOX: Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson dined with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Judea and Samaria on Monday, in a go to that marked essentially the most senior go to from a U.S. official to what’s nonetheless internationally thought-about the occupied West Financial institution, however which has change into a extremely divisive matter within the U.S.
Although the dinner dialogue largely centered on the continued battle in Gaza and tips on how to higher safe assist deliveries as Hamas continues wreck on meals entry, Fox Information Digital confirmed with Heather Johnston, the founding father of the U.S. Israel Education Association – whose group deliberate Johnson’s journey – that he and his delegation may even be assembly with Palestinian leaders throughout his Center East go to.
Johnson, whose go to is taken into account a “personal” journey and never an official state go to because it was organized by the affiliation, additionally met with Israeli officers within the metropolis of Ariel ealier on Tuesday – simply over 10 miles from the Inexperienced Line, the armistice line marking the borders between Israel and the disputed Palestinian territories.
Although it isn’t uncommon for members of Congress to journey to Israel below personal means, together with earlier Audio system of the Home like Kevin McCarthy who also met with Netanyahu in 2023, the situation of the Johnson-Netanyahu dinner is important.
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US Home Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, proper, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, shake arms throughout a gathering on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP through Getty Pictures)
Republicans in Congress have introduced legislation that might require all official U.S. paperwork to make use of the title “Judea and Samaria” reasonably than the West Financial institution, which it argues has change into a “extremely divisive label.”
Judea and Samaria refers back to the historic and non secular ties Israel has to an space that’s internationally recognized as the West Bank, and which Israel captured from Jordan in the course of the 1967 battle after Amman first seized the territory of Obligatory Palestine, now dubbed the West Financial institution, in the course of the Israel-Arab battle of 1948.
It has since been deemed illegally occupied by the UN and the worldwide group, although the U.S. has fluctuated over its views of the occupation standing since President Donald Trump first entered workplace in 2017.
An Israeli soldier is seen throughout a protest within the city of Beita, in West Financial institution on July 26, 2024. (WAHAJ BANI MOUFLEH/Center East Pictures/AFP through Getty Pictures)
Trump evaded questions earlier this 12 months over whether or not he would assist Israel’s annexation of elements of the West Financial institution regardless of his sturdy assist for Jerusalem.
However no matter whether or not it has the backing of Israel’s chief ally, prime officers in Netanyahu’s administration have made clear they intend to annex territory formally and fewer than two weeks in the past the Israeli authorities handed a non-binding resolution that mentioned Jerusalem ought to “apply Israeli sovereignty, legislation, judgment and administration” to the West Financial institution.
Johnson’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s questions concerning the significance of his go to.
Although it may recommend U.S. lawmakers might take a extra decisive function in backing Israel’s expansionist plans because the Trump administration appears to finish Israel’s battle in Gaza whereas nonetheless opposing European and Arab nation’s elevated push for an impartial state of Palestine.
Israel’s (L to R) Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and Vitality and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen applaud throughout a session of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) at its headquarters in Jerusalem on June 11, 2025. (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP through Getty Pictures)
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The Instances of Israel additionally reported last week that Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Protection Minister Israel Katz, the latter of which who Johnson met with on Sunday, consider that “at this very second, there’s a second of alternative that should not be missed” to implement “Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”
The report didn’t affirm why this second in time is so vital.
