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Seahawks DE Bennett won't join NFL's Israel trip

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has withdrawn from a group of NFL players who are planning to visit Israel next week.

Writing about his decision in posts on Twitter and Instagram on Friday night, Bennett said he was concerned that the goodwill tour, which is sponsored by the Israeli government, would be viewed as showing preference to Israel over Palestine.

"I was not aware ... that my itinerary was being constructed by the Israeli government for the purposes of making me, in the words of a government official, an 'influencer and opinion-former' who would then be 'an ambassador of good will,'" Bennett wrote.