40 | SEPTEMBER 12 • 2019
Congresswoman Haley Stevens talks
about the impact the trip made on her.
JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jews in the D
continued on page 42
First Time to Israel
P
henomenal.” That’
s
what Congresswoman
Haley Stevens,
D-Mich., says of her first
trip to Israel. She was one
of 41 Democratic members
of Congress, led by Majority
Leader Steny Hoyer earlier
in August on an AIPAC-
sponsored trip to the Jewish
state. Stevens’
mother, Maria
Marcotte of Birmingham,
accompanied her on the trip.
Stevens, who represents
Michigan’
s 11th District,
said the trip was jam-packed
and included stops in
Jerusalem, Golan Heights,
Ramallah and the Lebanon
border. A memorable
moment was when she and
her mom put notes in the
Western Wall. “I used every
minute there,” Stevens said.
“I’
d heard so much about
this amazing and beautiful
country. It was such a rich
experience.”
Stevens said she was most
surprised by the close con-
nections of so many diverse
populations in Israel.“It’
s a
meeting place and a meeting
of the minds. It reminded
me of being in summer
camp,” said Stevens, who ran
into fellow Bloomfield Hills
resident Bluma Schechter in
the hotel elevator and chat-
ted for a while.
“I saw firsthand how
Israel’
s geography impacts
strategic and national secu-
rity decisions that get made.
I saw the terror tunnels,
which reaffirmed for me the
severity of Israel’
s situation
in terms of national securi-
ty,” she said.
While there, Stevens met
with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu as well
as opposition leader Benny
Gantz. “I got to spend a
The Democratic
delegation poses
for a group shot.
Jews in the D
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