US speaker says West Bank belongs to Jews ‘by right’ in settlement visit by Jeremy Sharon
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson says that the “mountains of Judea and Samaria” belong to the Jewish people “by right,” during a visit to the West Bank settlement of Ariel, according to a statement by the settlement’s municipal authority.
Johnson, who is among the most senior US officials to ever visit a West Bank settlement, speaks at a celebratory event attended by Ariel Mayor Yair Chetboun and the mayors of other West Bank settlements.
“Every corner of this land is important to us. It is an integral part of our faith, and therefore the significance for us is great… We stand entirely by your side,” says Johnson, according to the statement.
“Scripture teaches us that the mountains of Judea and Samaria were promised to the Jewish people, and they belong to them by right. But many people around the world do not see it like this, they label it the ‘occupied territories’ or the ‘West Bank’ or any other name,” he adds. “Every mayor here should know exactly where we stand regarding this issue — and we stand with you.”
His spokesperson does not respond to a request for comment.
Along with Johnson, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, his daughter, and Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee-Sanders also participate in the US delegation, along with Republican congressmen Nathaniel Moran, Michael McCaul, Claudia Tenney, and Michael Cloud.
Chetboun in the statement describes Johnson’s visit as “an historic moment of shared values, deep friendship, and strong partnership between the US and Israel, and between the US and Judea and Samaria, the place where the Jewish story began.”
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