Bennett and Blinken vow to keep cooperating on Iran as political drama unfolds in Israel
Blinken thanked Bennett for his leadership, as his rotation partner Yair Lapid prepares to assume office next week
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed Israeli-U.S. relations despite the dissolution of the current Israeli parliament.
According to State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, Blinken underscored the United States’ respect for the democratic processes in Israel and reiterated an unwavering commitment to the strong U.S.-Israel strategic relationship in a conversation the two had on Tuesday.
A statement from Bennett’s office said that the two stressed the importance of U.S. President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to the Jewish state which will go ahead as planned, despite the political drama unfolding in Israel.
Bennett told Blinken that he will continue to support and assist alternate-Prime Minister Yair Lapid upon his taking office next week. Lapid – as prime minister –will welcome Biden at Ben-Gurion International Airport upon his arrival on July 13.
Blinken thanked Bennett for helping to strengthen the ties between Israel and the U.S. and expressed appreciation for his leadership and statesmanship shown during his tenure, the statement read.
“Thanks to honesty, decency and working together – we achieved many things,” Bennett told Blinken.
He further emphasized that Israel-U.S. relations should continue in their positive spirit and transcend political considerations. The two agreed to maintain contact.
While discussing Iran’s malign influence in the region, Bennett emphasized that he shares the secretary of State’s expectation to continue cooperating on the issue.
“The secretary emphasized he looks forward to continuing our close coordination on regional and global issues,” said the State Department spokesperson.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
