Gary Fitleberg, December 21, 2004

Two U.S. senators are visiting Israel on the fourth such congressional trip since Yasser Arafat’s death.

The visit later this week by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) appears to signal a new level of U.S. interest in bringing peace to the region, spurred by President Bush’s active role following the Palestinian Authority president’s death Nov. 11.

Other recent visitors include Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the U.S. House of Representatives’ Democratic whip; his Republican counterpart, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.); Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chairwoman of the House International Relations Committee.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg