Israel and Jordan Trip Report

November 12-14, 2005

From November 12-14, 2005, I visited Israel for my second visit as a US Senator and my first visit as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During my trip, I had the opportunity to attend memorial ceremonies for Yitzhak Rabin, meet several Israeli leaders and participate in a conference sponsored by the Saban Forum on Middle East Policy. I also interrupted my trip for a short visit to Amman, Jordan with my family to view the site of one of the terrorist bombings and visit victims of the bombing in an Amman hospital.

This visit combined emotional moments at the Rabin memorial and the visit to Amman, with informative briefings and events that demonstrated the strong bonds between the US and Israel. You will find below a brief trip report based on my visit.

Saturday, November 12

One of the great joys of this trip was the opportunity to visit Israel with my family. Bill, Chelsea and I were thrilled about this trip. We love visiting Israel, and have not had the chance to be there as a family for several years. That's why I was so glad that the first thing we did together in Jerusalem was to go for a stroll around the Old City of Jerusalem at dusk, stopping at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Old City is magical with its limestone passageways and history at every corner.

That evening, my husband delivered the keynote address at the Saban Forum Dinner. He spoke about the wealth of intellectual capacity and ingenuity in the region and its potential to be a powerhouse in the 21st Century, despite a scarcity of natural resources, if security and peace could be established.

Following the Saban Forum dinner, Bill, Chelsea and I drove to Tel Aviv for the rally marking the tenth anniversary of Prime Minister Rabin's assassination, where Bill was slated to speak. The rally was held at the plaza that now bears Rabin's name, the very place he was gunned down tragically a decade ago. It was such an emotional experience to be there amongst tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in support of Rabin's mission of securing a lasting peace. Bill and I greatly admired both Yitzhak and Leah Rabin, and Bill spoke about his reverence for Rabin's statesmanship and dignity. After his speech we spent a few moments in a private ceremony with Dalia and Yuval Rabin, Yitzhak and Leah's children, commemorating the life of this great leader.

November 13, 2005

The top priority of any government is to ensure the safety and security of its citizens, and that is why I have been a strong supporter of Israel's right to build a security barrier to keep terrorists out. I have taken the International Court of Justice to task for questioning Israel's right to build the fence, and on this trip, I wanted to see the fence with my own eyes. Joined by some of my friends from New York - Harold Tanner, Malcolm Hoenlein, Susie Stern and Michael Miller - I stood on a hilltop in Gilo and received a detailed briefing from Col. Danny Tirza who oversees the Israeli government's strategy and construction of the security fence.

Since this was my first trip to Israel since joining the Senate Armed Services Committee, I was committed to discussing the shared security challenges that Israel and the US face. In addition to the visit to the fence, I held a series of meetings with Israeli officials to discuss such challenges as well as our shared interests. First, I saw Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and we talked at length about the dire threat posed by the potential of a nuclear Iran - not only to Israel, but to Europe and Russia as well. Following that meeting, I met privately with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and then we both proceeded into a fascinating panel discussion hosted by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. The Defense Minister and I discussed the strategic challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the US and answered questions from the audience.

After our panel discussion concluded, I proceeded to a meeting with Prime Minister Sharon, where we discussed many of the same issues. During the meeting, we were reminded of the threats that Israel faces. An aide to the Prime Minister interrupted to inform him of a Qassam rocket attack on the town of Sderot, a community that lies near the Gaza strip. Sderot has been the site of many attacks over the years and the urgency of the situation made it even clearer to me how important it is for the US and Israel to remain united against terror and for the Palestinian Authority to take immediate steps against the terrorists who attack Israel and threaten the transition of Palestinians to a better future.

Earlier, King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan had contacted Bill and me about visiting the sites of the horrible suicide bombing in Amman that had killed over 50 people just a few days earlier. When Bill, Chelsea and I arrived in Jordan, we saw the hideous wreckage - shattered glass, twisted metal, and remnants of the wedding celebration that would not be. We also visited the hospital where we spoke with the groom and met his brother who was recovering from his physical wounds. I also visited a four year old boy and a three month old baby girl recovering from shrapnel wounds. The devastation in Jordan once again demonstrates the need to stand firm in the face of terrorism and we went to Jordan to demonstrate that we stand by the Jordanians in this moment of tragedy.

November 14, 2005

I started the morning with a breakfast meeting with Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) where he described many of the threats that he sees to Israel as commander of the IDF. I also had a chance to meet Amir Peretz, the newly elected chief of the Labor party who stunned the Israeli political system with his surprise victory a few days earlier. Then I made a solemn stop at the Western Wall where there was a Bar Mitzvah celebration in progress so as I walked to place a note in the Wall, I was showered with candy.

Following my stop at the Kotel, I participated in two events that held particular significance to me. The first was with the Bi-National Disaster Preparedness Consortium, a joint program of the Israel Trauma Coalition and the UJA Federation of New York's Agency Trauma and Disaster Consortium. The focus of this consortium is to share best practices and learn from each other about ways for communities and individuals to deal with traumatic events. Joint teams from New York and Israel have been dispatched all over the world to share expertise and help respond to disasters such as the Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and events in Beslan and they help first responders work through the stresses they experience in their daily work. I was proud to meet an Israeli firefighter who, through the Israel Trauma Coalition, had connected with New York firefighters to talk about their experiences and the burdens they carry. He gave me a pin that named me an honorary Israeli firefighter.

After that event, I joined doctors, paramedics, volunteers and Israel's Minister of Health at Magen David Adom headquarters where we talked about the upcoming conference convened by the Swiss government in Geneva where, we hope, after years of our advocacy and urging, MDA will finally be admitted into the International Red Cross as a full voting member. While there, I had the honor of spending a few moments with the family of Yochai Porat, an IDF reservist and MDA trainer whom I met during my last trip to Israel and who was killed by a sniper during his military service shortly thereafter. Yochai had been dedicated to serving Israelis through MDA, and his parents remain committed to its mission.

The rest of that afternoon and evening was devoted to memorial activities for Prime Minister Rabin. The memorial at the gravesite of Yitzhak and Leah Rabin on Mount Herzl was somber, dignified and very touching. Later in the evening, we drove into Tel Aviv for the opening of the magnificent new center and archive built for Prime Minister and Leah Rabin. We were so honored to stand with Dalia and Yuval for the unveiling of the garden dedicated to Bill and me. At the dinner, celebrating the opening of the beautiful Rabin Museum and Center, both Bill and I addressed the crowd of about 1000 people from all over the world about the lives and legacies of Leah and Yitzhak.

Conclusion

My visit to Israel and Jordan had a great impact on me. From the commemoration for Yitzhak Rabin, to witnessing the devastation of the attacks in Jordan, to meeting with Israeli leaders about the challenges that both the US and Israel face, this trip added to my understanding of the situation in the region - which I will bring to my work in the Senate.