Dupage Policy Journal

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) said Tuesday he recently led a a delegation of pro-Israel activists from the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago on a mission to Israel and Poland.

"This tremendously moving and informative trip was an opportunity to reaffirm the U.S.-Israel relationship at a critical point in time," Roskam said. "Our meetings and site visits focused primarily on the shared threats facing both countries, from Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons to the rise of ISIS and the evolving BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement. In particular, the transition from Poland, where we visited Nazi concentration camps and the Warsaw Ghetto, to the flourishing Jewish State, truly highlighted the importance and miracle of Israel. Now more than ever, we must remain steadfast in our support of Israel and resolute against those who seek its destruction. "

While in Poland, the delegation visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Majdanek concentration camps, the Warsaw Ghetto and other key sites from Jewish life in Poland before, during and after the Holocaust.

In Israel, the mission toured the Arrow and Iron Dome missile defense systems, ascended Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights for an Israeli Defense Forces briefing on the Syrian Civil War, flew via helicopter over the West Bank, Jerusalem and northern Israel and met with leading thought leaders and policymakers from across the political spectrum.

Roskam has represented Illinois's 6th District in the House of Representatives since 2007.