President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday 29 May, 2019, met with Chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY).

The president welcomed Chairman Engel on his visit to Israel and stressed the importance of the Israel-US relationship: “It is truly a strategic alliance, and we appreciate your country’s unequivocal support for Israeli security. Our relations have solid foundations: shared values and a common vision bind us together.”

Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, the president said, “We see eye to eye on Iran, which continues to threaten the stability of the region and the security of us all. We view events in Syria with great concern and appreciate your work to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Like you, we see Israeli-Palestinian affairs as a tragedy for both peoples and hope the president’s plan encourages progress.”

Representative Eliot Engel: “I have always been very supportive of the US-Israel relationship, and I will always continue to be. Friends will sometimes have disagreements, so will spouses and family members, but that shouldn’t, doesn’t and won’t obscure the bigger picture. We are friends and allies and the values we share are more important than anything else. When we look back at what we have achieved over the last 71 years, it is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you for welcoming me. I am always glad to be in Israel and to meet friends.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem/photo credit: Haim Zach, GPO)