Israel should keep key areas in Judea and Samaria, two Republican lawmakers said on Tuesday in a tour organized by an Israeli group.
Congressmen Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Mike Johnson (R-LA) visited the Cave of the Patriarchs, the Gush Etzion communities, the Jordan Valley, Shiloh and the Psagot Winery as well as other places.
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Jordan called the Trump administration's recently unveiled peace plan "great." According to Jordan, "President Trump has been the best friend Israel can ever have. That is why so many folks and Jewish people in this great country appreciate the President so much, and why so many Americans appreciate the President so much. It is because he does what he says."
Jordan stressed that the Trump's actions – "Whether it is the Iran deal, the US Embassy in Jerusalem, whether it's the Golan Heights or now recognizing those areas that so much of the world wants to call settlements but those are actually part of the State of Israel" – demonstrate his great friendship.
"It just shows how committed and how strong the relationship is between our country and the State of Israel.," Jordan said.
Johnson also praised the Trump plan and said that he was "grateful that President Trump has taken his leadership, and has been very assertive" about letting Israel extend its sovereignty to the areas that have been designated as part of Israel under the plan.
"From my perspective, it has been long overdue, and I think that the sooner that sovereignty can be recognized the better. Many of us conservatives have reservations about the two-state solution because as a Bible-believing Christian I don't see a place for that, so we are in solidarity with a lot of the Israeli people, understanding that this is the homeland," Johnson said. "This has been a very educational experience for us, and as Christians, it is very meaningful for us to see the land that we have always studied and talked about and even taught," Johnson continued. "So it's been a very unforgettable trip for us.
