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US, Israeli officials discuss Iran and ISIS in Washington consultation
Belying a week of reported tension between Israeli and American leaders, senior US and Israeli officials met yesterday in Washington to discuss and coordinate on security and diplomatic issues.
In the framework of the US-Israel Consultative Group, which meets twice annually, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice yesterday hosted an Israeli delegation, headed by Yossi Cohen, the national security adviser at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. A White House statement said that the two sides “discussed the ongoing diplomatic efforts of the P5+1 and EU to reach a comprehensive solution that peacefully and verifiably resolves the international community’s concerns with Iran’s program.” The statement elaborated, “The delegations pledged to continue the unprecedented coordination between the United States and Israel as negotiations continue.”
The US-led initiative to combat Islamist terror group ISIS was also high up on the agenda. The statement said that discussions took place on “pressing issues, including ongoing efforts by the United States and coalition partners to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL [ISIS].”
In addition to Rice and Cohen, the discussions were also attended by CIA Director John Brennan, Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of the Treasury David Cohen, White House Coordinator for the Middle East Phil Gordon and US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro.
Commenting on the significance of the gathering earlier in the week, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said “These consultations are a testament to the unprecedented level of security cooperation between the US and Israel.”
His comments came after US officials had criticised Israeli construction plans in areas of Jerusalem beyond the pre-1967 borders. Yesterday’s consultation also followed a report by Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlantic this week, which claimed that relations between the Obama Administration and Netanyahu’s office are “red hot.” Goldberg quoted a senior US administration official who called Netanyahu a “chickenshit” who is motivated by little more than a “near-pathological desire for career-preservation.” Yesterday, US Secretary of State John Kerry described the alleged comments as “disgraceful.”