Utah’s Rep. Celeste Maloy was one of 15 Republican members of Congress to visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem last week during a trip with a bipartisan, pro-Israel lobby group.
In a video posted to social media by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Maloy said the delegation talked about the role Congress could play in addressing “some of the things that happened on [Oct. 7, 2023.]”
“It’s an honor to be here to show support and solidarity to our Israeli allies and to learn firsthand about some of the things they’re going through,” she added.
Netanyahu told the Republican delegation that “victory is within reach,” that Israel needed more foreign aid and that a two-state solution was not an option.
“Our battle is your battle. Our victory is your victory,” he said. “And if we don’t have a victory, this will have enormous implications for American security, for our common future. So we must win.”
He also said there is “an attempt to force, ram down our throats a Palestinian state.”
“We just had a vote in the Knesset: 99 to 9,” he said, referring to the lawmaking body’s February vote that opposed the formation of a Palestinian state.
More than 33,000 Palestinians have died during the Israel-Hamas war, according to The Associated Press. And six months into the conflict, Netanyahu is also planning to invade Rafah, where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians live. At least 1,200 Israelis died in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and around 250 hostages were taken then.
AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbyist group, has urged Congress to boost military aid to Israel, according to reporting by OpenSecrets. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee also has a financial lobbying arm that donates to American politicians.
In the first three quarters of 2023, OpenSecrets reported AIPAC spent $2.2 million on federal lobbying efforts. Its disclosure form lists defense, budgeting and foreign aid as part of its lobbying goals.
AIPAC plans to spend $100 million this year to lobby against candidates they have decided “insufficiently” support Israel, according to Politico. The Intercept reports that AIPAC-funded trips to Israel come from funding from large donors like the American Israel Education Fund.
Maloy, according to her Federal Election Commission filings from last year, received at least $5,000 directly from AIPAC during her special congressional election campaign. FEC filings from the first quarter of 2024 are not yet available.
It is unclear who paid for Maloy and the other congressional Republicans to travel to Israel over the weekend. When asked about the trip on Friday and Monday, a spokesperson for Maloy said the congresswoman was unable to answer questions from The Salt Lake Tribune, citing Maloy’s busy travel schedule.
The spokesperson did say Maloy visited with many people, including Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and United Nations Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew.
Correction, May 13, 4:45 p.m. • This story has been updated to correct the name of Jack Lew, United Nations ambassador to Israel and to describe the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as bipartisan.
