New York Gov. Hochul Announces Upcoming Visit to Israel in Show of Support

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gives a speech in New York on Jan. 31, 2023. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday that she will travel to Israel for a “solidarity mission” amid an escalating conflict between Israel’s military and the Hamas terrorist group.

Ms. Hochul said in a statement that she planned to travel to Israel on Oct. 17 to meet with diplomatic leaders and communities devastated by the recent “horrific” attack by Hamas.

“During these difficult times, it’s more important than ever for New York to show up in support of Israel,” she stated. “New York will show the world that we stand with Israel—today, tomorrow, and forever.”

New York has the largest percentage of Jews among all the U.S. states, with 21 percent of the nation’s 7.6 million Jewish people residing there as of 2020, according to the American Jewish Population Project at Brandeis University.

Ms. Hochul has previously voiced her unwavering support for Israel during a rally in New York City on Oct. 10. In her remarks, the Democrat politician pledged that she would continue to fight antisemitism.

“As Governor of the State of New York, I am so proud to govern a state that has the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel,” she remarked. “We will defeat evil right here in New York.”

Biden Traveling to Israel and Jordan

Ms. Hochul’s visit will take place ahead of President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel on Oct. 18, which the White House said is intended to demonstrate his “steadfast support” for the country and to consult on the next steps.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Oct. 16 that President Biden “will hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs.”

“The president will hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas,” he added.

President Biden will then travel to Jordan and meet with His Majesty King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to the White House.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that President Biden’s agenda during his visit to Amman, Jordan, includes reiterating the United States’ belief that Hamas does not represent the “vast majority” of the Palestinian people. It will also involve discussing humanitarian aid.

“They are victims here, as well, of Hamas,” said Mr. Kirby, who noted that Hamas terrorists have been sheltering in civilian homes and schools and tunnels underneath residences, effectively using Gazans “as human shields.”

Smoke billows from Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt during an Israeli airstrike on Oct. 10, 2023. Gaza's border crossing with Egypt, the only one that bypasses Israel, was hit by an Israeli air strike on Oct. 10. Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden will “make it clear that we want to continue to work with all our partners in the region, including Israel, to get humanitarian assistance in and again to provide some sort of safe passage for civilians to get out,” Mr Kirby added.

Mr. Kirby noted that Egypt’s president “obviously has a significant role to play” in providing safe passage for Gazans, with the Rafah crossing, the southernmost border crossing from Gaza that borders Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

“He will certainly reiterate that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination,” Mr. Kirby said. “And he'll discuss, again, the humanitarian needs of all civilians in Gaza.”

Israel declared a state of war after Hamas launched land, air, and sea attacks on Oct. 7. The Israeli military has responded with its heaviest bombardment of Gaza, the stronghold of Hamas. The death toll in Israel has passed 1,400, and 2,800 in Gaza as of Oct. 16, according to multiple reports.

Caden Pearson, Emel Akan, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.