(Detroit News) A human rights group and some Arab American groups in Michigan are expressing disappointment with the timing of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s trade mission to Israel.
On Sunday, Whitmer’s administration announced she would visit Israel this week to strengthen Michigan’s “business ties” with the Middle East country.
The trip comes after Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip more than a week ago and as President Donald Trump’s administration announced it will no longer consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law, according to the Associated Press. The Trump administration’s decision frustrated Palestinians and reversed a longstanding U.S. policy.
The Dearborn-based American Human Rights Council said in a statement that it is “deeply concerned” that Whitmer’s visit to Israel will be “perceived as acquiescence, if not approval of U.S. abandonment of its longtime policy and of Israeli repressive policies.”
