For the first time in almost 20 years, a U.S. Navy warship has docked in the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, in what officials from both sides hailed as a sign of the strong ties between Jerusalem and Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah toured the American guided-missile destroyer USS Ross, after which they took part in a ceremony onboard, marking the 243rd anniversary of the U.S. navy. The Israeli leader said in his address to those attending the ceremony, that the docking of the American destroyer signals the commitment of the United States to ensure Israel’s security. In his words, “This is the first visit, as commander Cole said, first visit in Ashdod of an American war ship in 19 years, and I think it comes propitious time. It comes at a time when our values are tested, our interests are challenged. There is nothing like the Israeli-American alliance that is manifested in so many ways, but most especially in the sharing of military intelligence and in military cooperation against terror, against the aggressive force of Iran in this region. We are committed to preventing Iran from expanding its empire. We want them to go back to Iran, get out of Syria, get out of Yemen, get out of Iraq and stop building war and misery, creating misery everywhere they go. This is a commitment that President Trump has expressed many times and he expresses his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran’s aggression against Israel in Syria, he said we back you a 100 percent, and I believe that in a way this visit expresses that commitment.” It is important to note that the USS Ross was the American destroyer used by the U.S. navy to launch dozens of missiles at Syrian targets last year, in response to the Assad regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons against rebel-controlled territories.
