By The Associated Press






A delegation of 29 Democratic members of the U.S.
House of Representatives will arrive in Israel
Sunday for meetings with senior Israeli and
Palestinian officials, a spokesman for the
American group sponsoring the visit
said.

David Kreizelman of the
American-Israel Public Affairs
Committee said that members of
group, which is headed by
Democratic whip Steny Hoyer of
Maryland, would meet with Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign
Minister Silvan Shalom and

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.

Kreizelman said the goal of the trip was to give
the U.S. lawmakers first-hand knowledge of the
U.S.-Israel relationship, the prospects for
peace in the Middle East and economic and
political trends in Israel.

He said that the congressmen would stay in
Israel until the end of the week.

The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee is
the main pro-Israel lobby group in the United
States. It frequently sponsors visits to Israel
for leading figures in American public life.