During Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, the Israeli leader reiterated the strong relations between Israel and the United States, while citing once again the significance of a Financial-aid agreement granted by Washington to Jerusalem which will assure Israel’s military capabilities in protecting itself from ongoing regional threats. “I thanked him for the historic Defense Aid Agreement that we signed, the largest in US history with any country. This agreement will ensure our military capabilities and our defensive capabilities against missiles in the coming decade. It is no secret that President Obama and I have had our disagreements, first and foremost on the Iranian issue. But, as it is clear, these disagreements have not clouded the strong and solid relations between the countries. The link between the United States and Israel is based, not only on deep common interests, but also on shared values that are second to none in the world. This finds expression, first and foremost, in the massive support of the American public for the State of Israel, which I saw everywhere during my visit to the United States,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu also said it would not matter who would be elected President of the United States, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, as both candidates declared their unwavering support for Israel and will strengthen the alliance with the Jewish state in the coming years. “I met with the two candidates for the presidency, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and I held long talks about Israel and the region. They both spoke of their support for Israel and the importance of bilateral relations. It does not matter which of them is elected –American support for Israel will remain strong. This alliance will stay strong and will even strengthen in the coming years,” Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister also noted the improvement of Israel’s international standing, with regional countries – specifically moderate Arab nations – understanding that Israel is not their enemy but an ally against the extreme Islamist organizations. “We see countries in the region, first of all, that more and more understand that Israel is not their enemy, but their ally against the forces of radical Islam. Many other countries are rushing to deepen relations with us,” Netanyahu said.