Congressmen to Ayalon: No way to treat ally
Deputy foreign minister refuses to meet US visitors to Israel, apparently due to their link to Jewish left-wing lobby J-Street. Delegation seeks explanation from Jerusalem
American congresspersons visiting Israel in the name of left-wing American-Jewish lobby group J-Street held a press conference Wednesday evening in Tel Aviv in which they requested clarifications from Israel after Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon apparently refused to meet them.
One of the delegates, Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts, said that Ayalon's behavior in refusing to meet them due to their political beliefs was "very disturbing" and "an inappropriate way to treat elected representatives of Israel's closest ally."
The delegation is in Israel also in the name of Churches for Middle East Peace, and will remain until Thursday.
The delegation includes congresspersons Bob Filner and Lois Capps from California, Mary Jo Kilroy from Ohio, Donald Payne from New Jersey and J-Street founder and executive director, Jeremy Ben-Ami.
The Foreign Ministry said in response, "The Foreign Ministry always welcomes American Congress members visiting Israel and is happy to organize meetings for them with any state official as per their request.
"The Foreign Ministry would be happy to organize such meetings for the American Congress members visiting Israel at the moment, and there is no need for any mediators. The Foreign Ministry regrets the attempt to impose who will be present in the meetings, which is unacceptable in diplomatic life."
