Chris Christie to Visit Israel as Republican Presidential Hopeful, Makes Outreach to Hostage Families and Officials in War Zone

Christie's trip, initiated by invitation from the Israeli foreign ministry, becomes the first in-person outreach to Israel by a GOP presidential candidate following the October Hamas attacks. The diplomatic visit will cover meeting hostage families, officials, and performing a tour of the war-stricken Gaza region and comes as the candidate builds a strategy for boosting US relations with key international allies.

Chris Christie is set to visit Israel, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to do so after the October Hamas attacks. This visit is seen as an opportunity for him to demonstrate his foreign policy prowess and support for Israel.
During his visit, Christie is scheduled to meet with Israeli Defense soldiers, government officials, and the families of hostages held by Hamas. Additionally, he plans to tour the war-stricken Gaza region.
Christie considers in-person visits to global hotspots key to understanding international affairs, stating that one cannot aspire to be the U.S. President and fear witnessing ground realities.
The former New Jersey Governor has defended Israel and spoken in support of aiding both Israel and Ukraine. Earlier in August, he had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This visit, following an invitation by the Israeli foreign ministry, comes as Christie stresses on the importance of U.S. leadership on the world stage and close cooperation with allies amidst global conflicts.