A high-level group of US lawmakers plans to visit Israel, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries on a trip to promote regional peace, aides said Friday. The White House criticised the group's planned stop in Syria, a country the US government accuses of sponsoring terrorism. 'That's a really bad idea,' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Leading the group is Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is the first female speaker of the US House of Representatives. She plans to address the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Sunday, her office said. The California congresswoman will discuss the US commitment to Israel and the challenges facing the two nations in the Middle East, her office said.
Also in the delegation is House member Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in Congress, elected in November when the Democrats won majorities in both chambers. He was already in Israel on Friday. The group is also expected to visit Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia during its nine-day tour, Ellison's office said. Details were being kept secret for security reasons, it said. Another delegate is Tom Lantos, head of the House International Relations Committee and the only Holocaust survivor in Congress. |