Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to visit Israel on Sunday, making him the first GOP presidential contender to visit since the Oct. 7 attacks by the Palestinian militants in Hamas.
Mr. Christie plans to meet with Israeli forces and government officials and relatives of persons held hostage by Hamas, according to CNN, which first reported the trip.
He is also expected to visit the so-called Gaza envelope in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip, a Hamas-controlled territory that is the target of Israel’s response to the attacks.
Mr. Christie told reporters in New Hampshire that the Israeli officials reached out to him because they “appreciated the things I was saying and the stance I was taking and [said] if I was interested in coming over, they would be able to welcome me.”
Mr. Christie, who trails former President Donald Trump and other contenders in primary polling, has made foreign policy a plank of his campaign alongside his frequent criticisms of Mr. Trump. Earlier this year, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
The former governor says talk of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will likely have to wait until Hamas is routed and cannot launch another attack like the October one that killed more than 1,000 people in Israel.
From the debate stage in Miami this week, he said Israeli intelligence “failed” in the run-up to the attack and that Israeli officials need to remain focused on partnering with friendly Arab nations and isolating Iran.
Mr. Christie’s visit to Israel follows other high-level visits in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks.
President Biden visited to show solidarity with the Middle East ally and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer led a bipartisan delegation.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat whose state is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, also made a trip to show support.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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