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3w ago

House Speaker Johnson Concludes Private West Bank Visit, Endorses Settlements as Integral to Israel

Privately arranged by a pro-Israel NGO, the trip saw Johnson reaffirm U.S. backing for settlements in Judea and Samaria, prompting Palestinian Authority denunciations; reviving legal questions under international law.

Speaker Mike Johnson Visits Western Wall on Tisha B’Av: “May America Always Stand With Israel”
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SOCIALS ONLY - Mike Johnson in Israel

Overview

  • On August 4, Johnson became the highest-ranking U.S. official to tour the Ariel settlement, declaring that the mountains of Judea and Samaria belong to the Jewish people by right and must remain part of Israel.
  • Johnson and his GOP delegation, including Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, convened with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to discuss hostage-recovery efforts and regional security threats.
  • During his August 3 visit to the Western Wall on Tisha B’Av, he prayed for enduring American support for Israel and placed notes in the wall, framing policy as a matter of faith.
  • The weeklong initiative was organized by the U.S.-Israel Education Association as a private trip rather than an official congressional delegation, excluding the U.S. embassy and Israeli embassy from its planning stages.
  • The Palestinian Authority condemned his West Bank stop as a “blatant violation of international law,” intensifying scrutiny over U.S. settlement policy during Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.