The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Foreign
Affairs Committee called for Israel’s inclusion in NATO.
Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) made his remarks in a June 22
hearing, calling on NATO to consider expanding its borders beyond Europe and
North Africa.
“Why not allow firmly democratic nations, such as South
Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Israel, to join the world’s greatest military
alliance?” Lantos asked.Lantos also said NATO must be revitalized to
confront 21st century terrorism and that Europe needs to be a full partner in
the battle against the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.”We need German and
French and other European troops, whose grandparents we freed from Nazi
tyranny in World War II, to fight on the front lines, too,” said Lantos, a Holocaust survivor.
