IDAHO – Five Idaho legislators participated in a bipartisan conference for American state legislators this week that took place in and was sponsored by Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

House Assistant Majority Leader Josh Tanner, R-Eagle; House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, House Local Government Committee Chairwoman Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls; House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa; and Rep. John Shirts, R-Weiser, participated in the trip.

Boise State Public Radio first reported Wednesday that Idaho legislators were among 250 state legislators from across the United States who visited Israel to participate in the 50 States, One Israel conference.

Skaug, Shirts and Rubel confirmed publicly they participated in the trip. Efforts to reach Ehardt and Tanner were unsuccessful on Friday.

The Idaho state legislators’ visit occurred amid the ongoing Gaza war as Israel sent ground troops and tanks into Gaza City. This week the U.N.’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released a report stating Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

On Tuesday, the Idaho Israel Alliance posted photos of Rubel, Shirts, Skaug, Ehardt and Tanner planting a tree and Idaho flag at Ofakim Park, one of the Israeli communities attacked by Hamas and other militant groups on Oct. 7, 2023.

Four of the Idaho legislators on the trip are Republicans.

Rubel, who is Jewish and a descendant of Holocaust refugees, was the only Idaho Democrat on the trip.

Group of Idaho Democrats call for Rubel to step down from Idaho House minority leadership

On Friday, the Idaho Young Democrats released a statement strongly disagreeing with Rubel participating in a trip financed by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A group of Idaho Democrats also circulated a letter Friday condemning Rubel for participating in the trip and calling for Rubel to step down from her leadership position and reconsider serving in public office.

Rubel told the Idaho Capital Sun she was invited by the Israeli Consulate and chose to go on the trip because she viewed it as a unique learning experience. As a Democrat in the political minority in Idaho, Rubel said she often has to meet with and work with people she disagrees with. Rubel said she viewed the Israel trip in a similar light and said the trip proved to be a valuable learning experience.

“I didn’t think there would ever be a time when I would again have this level of exposure to decision makers, this ability to ask questions or the ability to access places I otherwise never would have,” Rubel said Friday. “It was an educational opportunity to inform myself and convey my own concerns to decision makers at a level I would probably never have an opportunity like that again.”

Skaug and Rubel said they did not spent any Idaho taxpayer dollars on the trip

Skaug said Friday that he was invited on the trip by the Israeli Consulate out of San Francisco, which paid for all the expenses.

Skaug said he believes he was invited because he is pro-Israel and co-sponsored Senate Bill 1086, Idaho’s Anti-Boycott Against Isreal Act, in 2021.

During the trip, Skaug said he heard from several Israeli leaders and was in close proximity to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Skaug said he also visited the old city wall of Jerusalem, where he prayed and posted photos taken with Shirts and Tanner.

Skaug said he took the trip to build relationships, learn from people in Israel and meet other legislators from across the U.S.

“We have legislators go to Taiwan, China, Mexico and all over the world on trade missions or to build relationships,” Skaug said. “That is the same as how I see this Israel trip, to build relationships and also hopefully more trade.”

Skaug said he and other legislators met with families who lost loved ones in the Oct. 7 attack against Israel.

As he traveled home Friday, Skaug said he left feeling hopeful for peace in the Middle East.

Reached Friday, Shirts confirmed he participated in the trip too. Shirts is a former assistant U.S. attorney for Idaho who was appointed during President Donald Trump’s first term and serves as a prosecutor in the Air Force Reserve.

“I am a strong supporter of Israel and its fight against terrorism,” Shirts said in a written message to the Idaho Capital Sun. “I was grateful for the opportunity to see firsthand the challenges Israel and the region are facing and to strengthen relationships with a longtime ally of our country.”

Rubel also said she did not spend Idaho taxpayer dollars on the trip. She said she made it clear to organizers her visit is not an endorsement of Netanyahu’s government.

During the trip, Rubel said she spoke up in front of Israel President Isaac Herzog during a state dinner and said the American public has grave concerns about the civilian casualties in Gaza and that the staggering loss of life is causing Israel to lose the hearts and minds of the American public.

Rubel also said she asked about famine in Gaza and sought out people with different perspectives and viewpoints.

“I went to gain a deeper understanding of this conflict and to have direct conversations with leaders about the war in Gaza — including asking hard, necessary questions,” Rubel wrote in a message posted to social media Thursday.

“As a Democrat in Idaho’s superminority, I often engage with people whose views are very different from mine,” Rubel added. “Listening and asking questions isn’t a sign of agreement — it’s a way to build understanding and find a path forward, even when the issues are deeply painful and divisive. The suffering in Gaza is unimaginable, as is the suffering of the families of the October 7 victims and hostages. Tens of thousands of innocent people, including children, have been killed or displaced. Families have been torn apart, and entire communities destroyed. This violence must end, and many across the world will likely have to participate to bring a lasting peace.”

“As a Jewish woman and the descendant of Holocaust refugees, I carry a personal connection to this region and its history,” Rubel wrote in Thursday’s message on social media. “My family’s story is one of survival in the face of hatred, and that history fuels my commitment to justice, even when it requires difficult conversations. For more than a decade, I’ve fought tirelessly for progressive causes here in Idaho, and have found that it is always a good idea to learn more about every issue and perspective.”

More than 150 people sign letter calling for Rubel to step down from her Democratic leadership position in the Idaho House

In a statement released Friday, the Idaho Young Democrats said it strongly disagreed with Rubel’s decision to participate in the trip.

“At a time when Palestinians are facing violence and a disturbing humanitarian crisis — a genocide – her participation in this trip sends the wrong message,” Idaho Young Democrats said. “While we appreciate her explanation, in which she clearly condemned the actions of the Israeli government, we feel that given the nature of the trip, her decision to participate does not reflect the values of our community.”

The Idaho Young Democrats also spoke out against Republicans on the trip and said Rubel has a duty to distinguish between herself and her Republican colleagues.

“Last year, the Idaho Democratic Party overwhelmingly passed a ceasefire resolution introduced by Idaho Young Democrats, affirming our party’s commitment to peace, justice, and human rights,” the Idaho Young Democrats said. “We continue to condemn the mass displacement, indiscriminate bombing, and killing of countless civilians by the Israeli government, and reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, and to fight against antisemitism, which has skyrocketed. We call for accountability and solidarity from our legislators.”

On Friday, 157 people who identified themselves as Idaho Democrats signed a letter to Rubel and issued a press release calling on Rubel to step down from her leadership position with House Democrats and apologize to Idahoans.

As House minority leader, Rubel is the highest ranking Democrat in the Idaho House of Representatives

The letter included the signers’ first and last names, followed by their legislative district number.

In bold letters, the letter states “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

“Less than 50 miles from your Israeli-funded propaganda trip, Israel has been engaged in the nonstop bombardment of Palestinians for nearly two years,” the letter states. “Israel has killed at least 64,964 people and wounded at least 165,312 Palestinians — over 10% of the population of Gaza…”

Shiva Rajbhandari, a climate activist and former Boise School District Board member, signed the letter and shared it with the Idaho Capital Sun. Rajbhandari is a registered Idaho voter affiliated with the Idaho Democratic Party, Idaho voter records show. Rajbhandari is a college student and activist studying public policy and sociology at the University of North Carolina.

Rajbhandari said he has called on all Idaho legislators who participated in the Israel trip to resign. But the letter from Democrats is specifically addressed to Rubel as a leader of their party, Rajbhandari said.

“The 157 signers are focused on the moral leadership of the Democratic Party and differentiating our party’s politics from the pro-genocide platform of the GOP,” Rajbhandari told the Sun on Friday morning.

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.