Billings Gazette - Daines, Returing from Israel Says U.S. Must Maintain Strong Defense

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By Mike Dennison

U.S. Rep. Steve Daines, back from a week-long trip to Israel sponsored by a pro-Israel group, said Tuesday he came away convinced that maintaining a strong defense is the best foundation for securing peace and stability in the Middle East.

Daines, R-Mont., and two dozen other Republican U.S. House members made the trip, which ended Sunday.

They met with Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Daines said he asked the prime minister about President Obama's plans to reduce America's nuclear weapons arsenal, and that Netanyahu said he had concerns because of nuclear weapons that could be developed by enemies of Israel in the Middle East.

"The prime minister, as I do, believes that one of the best ways to ensure peace is to have strength," Daines said. "It's important for the United States to maintain a strong defense."

Daines' wife, Cindy, joined him on the trip, which was paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation. The group also sponsored a trip for 35 Democratic members of the U.S. House earlier this month, he said.

Daines flew to Tel Aviv from New York, arriving Aug. 11, and came home last weekend. He said the congressional group visited sites along Israel's borders that are attacked by rockets from Palestinian opponents, but spent most of its time in Jerusalem.

While his trip was made up entirely of Republicans, Daines said congressional support for Israel is definitely bipartisan.

"There are few issues that unite the U.S. Congress anymore, but one of them is our policy in support of Israel," he said. "They are our strongest ally in the Middle East, they are the strongest democracy in the Middle East. They are a force of stability, and that does tie directly to our national interests."

Visiting Israel allows members of Congress to see the complexity of the disputes in the Middle East and the dangers that Israel faces from neighbors on its borders, he added.

"Israel is the size of the state of New Jersey," Daines said. "For those of us who grew up in Montana, we're used to wide-open spaces; our physical enemies are oceans away. To think about it in Montana terms, for Israel, our enemies would be in the next county."

The congressional group also had been scheduled to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, but he canceled and instead sent the PLO's chief negotiator.

Daines said the PLO wants a Palestinian state, while Israel is insisting that the Palestinians recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state of Israel.

He said there's some optimism that the latest peace talks could move toward resolving the issues, but added, "It's also couched in historical reality, that we are still a long ways away from that solution."

"The main issue for Israel is their security as well as the recognition of Israel," Daines said.

When asked about the weather on his trip, Daines had one word: Hot.

"Let's just say there weren't a lot of tourists around," he said.

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