US house speaker condemned over West Bank visit
Johnson met Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar before his visit to the Palestinian territory.
The last high-profile American visit to the West Bank was in 2020, when then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Psagot, an Israeli settlement near the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
Johnson's private trip was hosted by a pro-Israel organization and was not part of an official delegation from Congress, Axios reported.
He was joined by Republicans Michael McCaul, Nathaniel Moran and Michael Cloud of Texas, as well as Claudia Tenney of New York.
Johnson told settlers that their country is the 'rightful owner' of the Palestinian territory, which 'must remain an integral part' of Israel. 'Even if the world thinks otherwise, we stand with you.'
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Johnson's visit, and said Israel's occupation of the West Bank is a 'blatant violation of international law.'
The trip 'undermines Arab and American efforts to stop the war and cycle of violence, while flagrantly contradicting the declared US position on settlements and settler violence,' it added.
Johnson also appealed to religious sensibilities in the US, saying his country should use its 250th independence anniversary next year 'to remind the American people of its Judeo-Christian foundations that were formed here in the land of Israel.'
He is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before returning to the US on Sunday.
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