Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel joins President Obama on Air Force One tonight en route to Israel

Engel: “Israel is one of our closest allies in the world and President Obama’s visit is a powerful reminder of the unbreakable bonds between our two nations.”

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is traveling with President Obama to Israel, representing the U.S. Congress during the president’s historic visit to the region.

Engel is joining President Obama aboard Air Force One and will participate in a series of high level meetings and consultations with U.S. and Israeli government officials during the visit. Engel will also attend the Obama speech to university students in Jerusalem on Thursday, as well as the state dinner hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres.

“Israel is one of our closest allies in the world and President Obama’s visit is a powerful reminder of the unbreakable bonds between our two nations,” said Engel. “Israel continues to thrive as a nation, even as it is forced to confront a wide array of threats to its security, including Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the terrorist group Hizballah, and the civil war in neighboring Syria. There is no more powerful message to send across the world, to friends and foes alike, than a U.S. President standing shoulder to shoulder with the Israeli people. I’m honored to bring the voices of the New Yorkers I represent and the U.S. Congress to Israel on this historic trip.”

Last week, Rep. Engel met with Vice President Biden and White House staff to discuss the President’s trip to the region.

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