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US House of Representatives Speaker to Address Israeli Parliament


The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is to address the Israeli parliament, as she leads a congressional tour to show support for the Jewish state.

Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to address the Knesset in Jerusalem Monday, before wrapping up her four-day visit to the country.

The Democratic Party lawmaker is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation that traveled to Israel to mark the country's 60th anniversary.

Her schedule included meetings with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other leaders.

Pelosi said Sunday that U.S. support for Israel is an issue that unites both the Democratic and Republican parties.

U.S. President George Bush also joined Israel's anniversary celebration on Friday. He called the United States Israel's "best friend".

His speech did not specifically address the plight of the Palestinians, drawing strong criticism from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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