Exclusive: Christie's Upcoming Visit to Israel Unveiled

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will become the inaugural Republican presidential candidate to visit Israel since the October 7 Hamas attacks. Emphasizing his campaign's emphasis on US leadership on the global platform, Christie is set to hold meetings with Israeli officials during his visit, as per the provided itinerary exclusively disclosed to CNN.

Christie will meet with those injured in the Hamas attacks and also with the families of abducted civilians, according to trip details.

In what could be a preview of his conversations with Israeli officials this weekend, Christie called on Israel during the debate in Miami on Wednesday night to safeguard its land and the well-being of its civilians, while also ensuring that Hamas does not repeat such attacks.

Israel and their intelligence community have unquestionably failed. They have failed both in this instance and in their duty to the people of Israel. It is vital for the United States to collaborate closely with Israel to enhance intelligence-gathering in the region.

Furthermore, he advised Israeli leaders to remain focused on their goals by collaborating with "reasonable" Arab nations while effectively isolating Iran in the Middle East.

This won't be Christie's first visit to Israel; he previously traveled to the country in 2012 during his inaugural foreign trip as governor. Christie, who held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv shortly after announcing his 2024 presidential campaign, places great importance on confronting US adversaries overseas in his vision for America. He sets himself apart from competitors who show hesitation in offering assistance to allies during times of war.

"We must accept the consequences of being the leaders of the free world," he commented on Wednesday, as he pointed fingers at China, Iran, and North Korea for aligning with Russia, claiming that "dictators collaborate together."

Following his visit to Israel, Christie is anticipated to present a foreign policy speech at the Hudson Institute on Wednesday, where he will expand on his perspective on global affairs.

President Joe Biden made an exceptional visit to Tel Aviv, Israel, last month during a time of war. During his visit, he expressed his backing for Israel's right to safeguard itself and emphasized the importance of alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

Christie, at that time, expressed his belief that Biden's visit to Israel and his demonstration of physical solidarity with the United States' ally was the appropriate course of action.

Israel has subsequently increased its ground operations in Gaza, causing a significant rift in political opinions both in the United States and globally regarding the necessity of implementing a ceasefire. As per the recent announcement by the White House on Thursday, Israel has agreed to carry out daily four-hour pauses of military operations in the northern regions of Gaza.

Christie had expressed his doubt that a humanitarian pause in Israel's ground invasion of Gaza would result in the safe extraction of American hostages from the region.