Pro-Israel Group To Pay For Pences To Spend Christmas In Jerusalem

INDIANAPOLIS – A non-profit Christian-based organization will pay to send Gov. Mike Pence and his wife to Israel to celebrate Christmas.

Pence will also use the trip for a three-day economic mission, for which he’ll be joined by members of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. The delegation’s expenses will be paid for with private contributions to the IEDC.

“Hoosiers have cherished our relationship with the people of Israel for generations,” Pence said in a statement Tuesday. “As we look ahead, deepening our ties with the people, businesses and state of Israel remains a commitment that will empower us as partners.”

Christians United for Israel will pay for Mike and Karen Pence’s expenses to visit Jerusalem and to tour a number of Christian holy sites. The governor – who is considering whether to run for the GOP nomination for president – and the first lady will personally pay for the travel expenses of their three children.

CUFI aims to “provide a national association through which every pro-Israel church, parachurch organization, ministry or individual in America can speak and act with one voice in support of Israel in matters related to biblical issues,” according to its website.

CUFI says it’s the largest pro-Israel group in the United States with more than one million members. And when the Obama administration was earlier this year urging Israel to practice restraint in its battle with Hamas, CUFI was encouraging the Jewish state to do what was necessary to defeat the militant group.

The goveronr’s trip will last a total of nine days, which includes the three-day jobs mission. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith called Israel a “global entrepreneurial hotspot.”

“Israelis are launching new businesses at a tremendous rate, and that’s triggering economic and job growth that’s primed to expand to the United States,” Smith said in a prepared statement.

“With Indiana’s strength in life sciences, technology and advanced manufacturing, our mission is to make sure that Israeli leaders know that Indiana’s business climate is innovative and always growing – similar to the business climate they’ve grown in Israel,” he said.

Pence plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government officials, as well as leaders of Israeli companies and potential investors in key innovation sectors, including life sciences, technology and advanced manufacturing, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

He also plans to visit executives at aerospace technology developer Israel Aerospace Industries and automotive electronics manufacturer Taditel, which has operations in Anderson, Ind.. The governor will also give remarks at an event hosted by the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce.

Israel is the only country with free trade agreements with both the United States and the European community and more than 70 Hoosier companies do business there, including Magnavox, Alcoa, Allied-Singal, Biomet and ITT Aerospace.

In 2013, Indiana exports to Israel totaled more than $57.2 million.

This will be Pence’s fifth international trade mission as governor. He led his first gubernatorial jobs mission to Japan in September 2013, followed by trade missions to Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada this year.

Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.