House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced on May 1 a “parliamentary friendship group” between the U.S. House of Representatives and the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
“As speaker, I will continue to push for a formal inter-parliamentary group between the United States and Israel. But I will not wait to start more collaboration between the House of Representatives and the Knesset,” he said in a speech to the Knesset in Jerusalem.
“Therefore, I will establish a House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group—so we can continue to strengthen our bonds, build mutual understanding as elected representatives, and work better together—democracy to democracy.”
The group “will engage more directly with the Knesset, travel to Israel, strengthen existing relationships, and forge new ones,” McCarthy said. On the House side, “they will host Knesset members who wish to travel to the United States and do the same.”
He became the first House speaker since Newt Gingrich in 1998 to address the Knesset.
In his speech, McCarthy touted the close bond between the United States and Israel, which is marking its 75th anniversary as a nation.
“The United States cherishes our unbreakable bond with Israel. I’m proud that my country recognized your country only 11 minutes after it declared its independence, the first country to do so,” he said. “But our special relationship is even closer, more personal, and more powerful than we might realize.
“This is the foundation of our special relationship: We are the only two countries in history that were conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that we are all equal.”
McCarthy also warned about the threat from China.
“Today, however, our innovation is at risk from a new threat: the Chinese Communist Party,” he said. “While the CCP may disguise itself as promoters of innovation, in truth, they act like thieves. We must not allow them to steal our technology.”
McCarthy lauded Israel, like the United States, as having a process to review foreign investments.
“I strongly encourage Israel to further strengthen its oversight of foreign investment—particularly Chinese investment—building on the steps it first took in 2019,” he said.
He pledged that the United States would continue to fully fund security assistance for Israel, which amounts to $3.3 billion annually.
Finally, he talked about the Iranian threat and pledged, as the United States has continually done, to not let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon.
Ahead of his speech, McCarthy said he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he met with, to the United States if U.S. President Joe Biden doesn’t do so. Last month, Biden said he wouldn’t meet with Netanyahu “in the near term” over Netanyahu’s attempt to shake up Israel’s judiciary. While the overhaul plan was paused in response to massive street protests, talks have restarted.
McCarthy’s trip to Israel is part of his first foreign travel since becoming House speaker in January.
