As the keynote guest at the opening session, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, answered questions after his presentation. Natan Sachs of the Brookings Institute moderated, and former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro was seated at the table and participated in the discussion. 

Eliot Engel on Foreign Relations:

Eliot Engel commented on social justice:

Eliot Engel opinion on US international standing:

Eliot Engel on US support for Israel:

Former Supreme Court Judge Dorit Benisch, Members of Knesset, university officials, and media personalities joined IDI personnel to discuss various current issues facing democratic governments. The event had a live broadcast on the IDI website. 

Immediately following the IDI session also hosted by IDI Johanan Plesner, Engel went around the corner to Beit Hanasi for a private meeting with President Reuven Rivlin. 

The president welcomed Chairman Engel on his visit to Israel and stressed the importance of the Israel-US relationship: “It is truly a strategic alliance, and we appreciate your country’s unequivocal support for Israeli security. Our relations have solid foundations: shared values and a common vision bind us together.”

Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, the president said, “We see eye to eye on Iran, which continues to threaten the stability of the region and the security of us all. We view events in Syria with great concern and appreciate your work to designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization. Like you, we see Israeli-Palestinian affairs as a tragedy for both peoples, and hope the president’s plan encourages progress.”

Representative Engel responded: “I have always been very supportive of the US-Israel relationship, and I will always continue to be. Friends will sometimes have disagreements, so will spouses and family members, but that shouldn’t doesn’t and won’t obscure the bigger picture. We are friends and allies and the values we share are more important than anything else. When we look back at what we have achieved over the last 71 years, it is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you for welcoming me. I am always glad to be in Israel and to meet friends.” 

At the same time as Engel had his meeting at Beit Hanasi, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, leading a Business Development Mission to Israel, joined the Minister of Strategic Affairs and Minister of Public Security, MK Gilad Erdan in Gush Etzion, Hub Etzion. The Florida delegation met with Gush Etzion leadership for a briefing about the fight against the boycott movement’s targeting of communities in Judea and Samaria, and business opportunities for U.S. businesses in the region.