Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Netanyahu joined U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman for a tour of the deployment-area for the most-advanced American anti-missile battery, THAAD: The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System. During their tour, Ambassador Friedman declared the deployment of the American systems portrays the unbreakable bond between the two countries. “I can’t think of a better example of the incredibly close and important cooperation between Israel and the United States. This is an outstanding example of how the American armed forces have made a commitment to Israel’s safety and security. They’ve done this in many other ways, but I can’t think of a better single example than we’re looking at right now. It’s a testament to the really unbreakable bond between Israel and the United States on so many different levels, including mutual security,” Friedman said.
Prime Minister Netanyahu joined the American diplomat in hailing U.S.-Israeli relations, as the best they had ever been, and thanked President Donald Trump for Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security. “I think this is a testament to the strength of the alliance between Israel and the United States. It has never been stronger. The coalition for a common defense, that is expressed not merely in intentions but in actual forces on the ground, I think is remarkable. We’re very, very happy with the cooperation and with the American commitment, often expressed by President Trump, to Israel’s security,” Netanyahu said.
It is important to note that the deployment of the THAAD systems in Israel is part of a joint U.S. Military-IDF exercise that involves some 200 Israeli and American troops.