Herzog meets with Blinken after White House visit
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday after visiting President Joe Biden at the White House.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Washington, D.C. on July 18, 2023. Credit: President’s Spokesperson
In statements issued before the meeting, the two leaders expressed mutual appreciation for the “unique relations” between the countries and discussed the shared goal of countering the Iranian threat.
“I want to thank you Mr. Secretary for pursuing such important goals as containing and limiting, and stopping the Iranian nuclear program, as building a regional coalition of nations which pursues peace and wants more and more integration with Israel in the region,” Herzog stated.
The president also said that the two would discuss the situation in Lebanon, in an apparent reference to the tensions at the Israel-Lebanon border due to Hezbollah provocations, as well as Israelis missing in action and held prisoner in Gaza.
Herzog brought to Washington with him Leah Goldin, the mother of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed in action in the Gaza Strip in 2014 and whose body is being held by the Hamas terrorist group.
Blinken echoed Herzog’s remarks, saying that “we are deeply committed to working together in dealing with the challenge posed by Iran. In particular making sure that it never acquires a nuclear weapon. We are deeply committed to the normalisation process and both deepening and expanding Israel’s relations with its neighbors far and wide.”
The top U.S. diplomat also praised Herzog for “affirming democratic values” by “bringing people together.” He also reiterated the U.S. stance in support of “two states for two peoples,” which he said was “essential for Israel’s long-term security and its standing as a democratic Jewish state.”
