Texas, Oklahoma governors visit Israel for 'solidarity mission'

Gov. Greg Abbott is expected with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to fly to Israel on Wednesday for a brief "solidarity mission."

The trip, coordinated by the Israel Consulate's office in Houston, would be short, said Humberto Cruz, the consulate's academic affairs officer. Cruz said Stitt and Abbott would be in Israel for about 12 hours, then return home.

The governors' trip comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensified and the war’s death toll reported by Palestinian and Israeli authorities climbed above 10,000. Wednesday afternoon U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said hate incidents against Jews, Muslims and Arab communities in the U.S. also had increased.

"As I see in my daily threat briefings, there has been a significant increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across our country," Garland said in a speech at the United Against Hate forum.

In Texas, Abbott announced he would allocate more than $4 million to provide enhanced security for Jewish organizations such as synagogues and schools.

“The State of Texas condemns these heinous acts of violence and inhumanity against Israel and its people by ruthless terrorists, and we stand ready to offer our complete support to the Israeli and Jewish communities,” the three-term Republican said at the time in a statement. “I firmly denounce the act of war against Israeli citizens and Americans in Israel and support Israel’s right to defend itself from these barbaric attacks."

Abbott also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to work with local partners and federal intelligence agencies on heightened public safety measures, with an intensified focus by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and Texas Fusion Center to "elevate awareness about potential threats by Hamas or Hezbollah organizations against the Jewish community in Texas."

In Oklahoma, Edie Roodman, the executive director of the Oklahoma Israel Exchange, said the trip was critically important to the people of Israel. "Having the governors of Oklahoma and Texas visit Israel is critically important at this time, given the fading images of Hamas' terror," she said.

Early in October, Stitt ordered the state Capitol building to be lit in blue and white to show solidarity with Israel and ordered flags to be flown at half staff.

"Please join me in prayer over Israel as they defend their nation against unprovoked terrorist attacks," the governor said. "By lowering our flags, we send a clear signal that Oklahomans stand firmly with the people of Israel as they endure unimaginable hardships.”

In a video posted on Facebook, Stitt said his heart broke for those impacted by the violence. Stitt said he was praying for the peace and safety of the Israeli people.

"Here in Oklahoma we stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters," the governor said. "We we welcome you here to our state and we will make sure you are safe to worship freely and raise your families in peace."

Stitt's office could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for Abbott declined to discuss the trip or even to confirm it was in the works. If there is any comment on the matter, it would come in an official statement, the spokeswoman said.

Stitt and Abbott's trip follows one made by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in October. Houchl said she went to Israel to meet with diplomatic leaders and visit the communities that were attacked. Houchl and 16 other governors sent a letter to the Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate condemning the Hamas attack and stating the group stood with Israel.

"In the days since these initial attacks, we have joined with members of our communities to mourn and pray, and we have experienced first-hand the deep emotional toll this horrendous evil has taken on so many," the governors' letter said. "We also know that there are several Americans that have already been confirmed killed as a result of this violence, and we know that number is likely to rise in the days ahead. We stand united in support of Israel in its efforts to secure the safe return of hostages and ensure the ongoing safety of its people."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Greg Abbott heads to Israel on 'solidarity mission' with Kevin Stitt