Ellison Joins Lawmakers Headed to Israel, Palestinian Territories

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison will be part of a 20-member Congressional delegation that will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories this month. The freshman Democrat told the Associated Press that promotion of dialogue will be his guiding principle during this trip.

“I’m a firm believer that dialogue never hurt anybody – the cost of dialogue is very low,” he was quoted as saying. “It’s the best way to solve a problem.”

House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-M.D., will be leading Ellison’s second trip to Israel. The delegation is slated to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Asked if the “dialogue” should include Hamas, which took control of Gaza few weeks ago, Ellison told the Associated Press that he wouldn’t get into that controversial subject.

The trip is sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, which is affiliated with the powerful America Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby group.

Ellison just got back from his first trip to Iraq, where he met with religious and tribal leaders. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Wednesday, Ellison said he thought the leaders he met with were doing a better job than Iraq’s central government.