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US Defence Secretary visits Israel, “bedrock” of regional strategy

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US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter met with Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon yesterday during the first day of his visit to Israel and underscored Washington’s commitment to Israeli security.

Carter was welcomed by Ya’alon at Israel’s defence headquarters in Tel Aviv. At a joint press conference, Ya’alon acknowledged that Israel “greatly disagrees” with the Obama administration over the nuclear deal agreed last week with Iran. Nonetheless, said Ya’alon, “The scope and depth of the relationship between the defence establishments of the United States and Israel is unprecedented – between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defence, between our armed forces, intelligence corps and defence industries.”

Ya’alon added that “We share common interests as well as common values” and that “today we will have an opportunity to discuss the developing situation in the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, Carter underscored that the United States and Israel will “work together to maintain our safety and security in this troubled region.” He described Israel as “the bedrock of American strategy in the Middle East.” Carter too recognised disagreement over the nuclear accord, but said “there’s no disagreement about the ultimate objective. We cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons.” To that end, he said that the United States will do whatever is necessary to maintain Israeli security, including guarding against “the threats Israel sees every day from Iran’s destabilizing activities, from terrorists like Hezbollah and Hamas.”

Later in the day, Carter travelled north for a security briefing focusing on Hezbollah’s capability in Lebanon, with the group thought to have an arsenal of tens of thousands of rockets. Carter commented, that “Hezbollah is sponsored of course by Iran, which is why the United States will continue to help Israel counter Iranian malign influence in the region.”

Carter will today meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before visiting Saudi Arabia and Jordan, two countries which also oppose the nuclear accord with Iran.