Former MLB star and Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey has traveled to Israel to meet with a hostage family and visit the Nova festival grounds, where a Hamas terrorist attack occurred on October 7.
Ex-MLB star and Senate candidate Steve Garvey has made a trip to Israel, where he met with a hostage family and visited the site of a recent Hamas terrorist attack.
Steve Garvey Visits Israel, Meets with Hostage Family and Visits Nova Festival Grounds
Garvey, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate from California, met with the family of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was held captive by Hamas for five years. Shalit was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
Garvey also visited the Nova festival grounds in Jerusalem, where a Hamas terrorist attack killed five people and injured dozens more on October 7.
Steve Garvey Visits Israel, Meets with Hostage Family and Visits Nova Festival Grounds
In a statement, Garvey said he was "deeply moved" by his meetings with the Shalit family and the victims of the Nova attack.
"The resilience of the Israeli people is truly inspiring," Garvey said. "I am committed to working to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and to ensure that Israel remains a safe and secure country."
Steve Garvey Visits Israel, Meets with Hostage Family and Visits Nova Festival Grounds
Garvey's trip to Israel comes as the Biden administration is working to revive the Iran nuclear deal, which critics say would provide Iran with a pathway to nuclear weapons.
Garvey has been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal, calling it a "threat to Israel and the United States."
In a recent interview with Fox News, Garvey said that if elected to the Senate, he would work to block the Iran nuclear deal and to strengthen U.S.-Israel cooperation.
"The United States and Israel are the best of friends," Garvey said. "We share common values and common interests. We must continue to work together to strengthen our relationship and to protect our shared values."
Garvey's trip to Israel is part of a broader outreach effort to the Jewish community. In recent months, Garvey has met with Jewish leaders in California and has visited several synagogues and Jewish community centers.
Garvey's outreach to the Jewish community is seen as an effort to win support for his Senate campaign. Jews are a key voting bloc in California, and their support could be crucial for Garvey's chances of winning the election.
In addition to his meetings with the Shalit family and the victims of the Nova attack, Garvey also met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other Israeli officials.
Garvey's trip to Israel has been praised by some Jewish leaders, who see it as a sign of his commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship.
"Steve Garvey's trip to Israel shows that he is a true friend of Israel," said Rabbi David Wolpe, the senior rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. "He understands the importance of our two countries working together to fight our common enemies."
However, some critics have accused Garvey of using his trip to Israel for political gain.
"Steve Garvey is trying to use his trip to Israel to win Jewish votes," said Democratic strategist Max Rose. "He's not a real friend of Israel. He's just a politician who is trying to use Israel for his own selfish purposes."
Despite the criticism, Garvey's trip to Israel is seen as a positive step in his effort to reach out to Jewish voters. If he is elected to the Senate, Garvey would be one of a handful of Jewish Republican senators.
