Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Chairman Jim Himes traveled to Israel last week to meet with government officials.

Himes, whose campaign said he made the trip at his own expense, is challenging Rep. Christopher Shays (R) in what is expected to be yet another very competitive race for the longtime Congressman this November.

“From a national security perspective, there is no country that knows more about the threats we face than Israel,” Himes said in a statement.

Himes’ campaign said he met with Prime MInister Ehud Olmert and members of the Israeli Knesset.

A spokesman for Himes said the campaign was unsure so far how to account for Himes’ trip in campaign finance records, but would determine the proper filing procedure by the third-quarter filing deadline on Oct. 15.