JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - Congressman Jim Saxton (NJ-3rd) today is in Israel with a congressional delegation to meet with Israeli anti-terrorism, defense and government officials.

The Saxton delegation met with Foreign Minister Simon Peres, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer, and other key officials.

"The enemies of Israel, the enemies of the United States and the enemies of free peoples around the world pose similar threats," Saxton said. "They are persistent. They are patient. They will employ different methods to kill civilians to advance their cause."

Saxton toured the West Bank, the Moslem and Christian Quarters of the Jerusalem Old City, and visited other areas in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. He also met with Avi Dichter, the head of Israel's Shin Bet, the equivalent to the U.S. FBI, and Silvan Shalom, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"On one hand, we must reach for peace in the Middle East," Saxton said. "On the other we must be prepared to deal with terror threats and defend ourselves."

Saxton also took his entourage to view briefings and demonstrations of anti-terrorism tactics and strategies of the Israeli Defense Force and the Police Special Forces Unit.

He is joined by Members of the House Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee which he chairs. Saxton worked to create the subcommittee, an extension of the Armed Services Committee, for more than a decade. It was created in 2003.

On the trip are House Members Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, Jim Cooper of Tennessee and Mike Turner of Ohio. The delegation arrived in Israel Monday and has been engaged in classified meetings for several days.

A vocal advocate of anti-terrorism awareness in Congress for 15 years, Saxton was selected by House Speaker Dennis Hastert in 2000 to chair the Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism.