US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slated to visit Israel on Wednesday

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham met Bennett today in Jerusalem

U.S. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is scheduled to visit Israel on Wednesday, according to Israeli media reports.

The Democratic lawmaker will be greeted in an official ceremony during her visit to the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem and will observe deliberations in the plenary session.

Pelosi has maintained close relations with the American Jewish community and is considered a staunch supporter of Israel. In 2018, she led a delegation of representatives to Israel ahead of Israel’s 70th National Independence Day and has openly stated her willingness to ensure that aid to the Jewish state will continue to be a bipartisan issue, even in the face of growing criticism from her party's progressive wing.

Before meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid during his visit to Washington last October, Pelosi commented that “Israel has always been bipartisan in the Congress of the United States, and it continues to be so.”

She further emphasized her support of Israel saying, “for many of us, [it] is in our DNA. For all of us, it’s at least bipartisan," and noted that her father, Democratic Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., had pressed then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt to support the establishment of the Jewish state.

In September, Defense Minister Benny Gantz expressed his gratitude to Pelosi for her past support of Israeli security initiatives after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved $1 billion in emergency funding for its Iron Dome missile defense system.

Today, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) met Bennett before the prime minister flew to Bahrain. The two discussed the Iranian threat, security challenges in the Middle East and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Bennett thanked Graham for being a true friend of Israel in both good times and in more challenging moments, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.