New York Governor Kathy Hochul came to Israel Wednesday to begin a trip intended to show support for the country during its war with Hamas.
The Democratic governor landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport around 5:40 p.m. with a group of state police officers and top aides, according to a joint report.
Hochul was expected to receive a security briefing at the airport and then travel about 30 minutes to meet the families. He will then head to a food pantry to help pack and drop off boxes for people who have had to move due to the conflict. From there, she Hochul will be taken to Jerusalem, where she will spend the night.
Hochul said his trip is intended as a gesture of solidarity and support for Israel. New York is home to the largest Jewish population of any American city, according to the American Jewish Population Project at Brandeis University.
“There is a deep and direct connection between the state of New York and Israel that has always been there, a bond forged over decades,” Hochul said. “And it’s easy to go when the sun is shining and everything is fine.”
“The community feels, in Israel and in New York, that my departure in these times will be the most significant symbol of its importance to us than anything else we can do,” he said.
The guerra which began on October 7 has become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides. Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,000 wounded in the past 11 days.
According to Israeli authorities, more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and at least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken to Gaza.
The start of Hochul’s visit comes a day after a massive explosion at a Gaza City hospital killed hundreds of people.
Hochul has said he wanted to ensure that Israel has the resources to protect its citizens while allowing Gaza civilians to get the humanitarian assistance they need, as long as it does not benefit Hamas.
“My position remains firm: Israel must defend itself against terrorism, or else terrorism will know no borders, and we have seen what terrorism looks and feels like on the streets of our own cities,” he said during a press conference. on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Hochul said Wednesday that they do not have an exact number of how many New Yorkers are trapped in Israel or Palestine because of the conflict.
2023-10-18 19:54:32
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