A US soldier surveils the area during a combined joint patrol in Manbij, Syria, Nov. 1, 2018. Photo: Courtesy of Zoe Garbarino / US Army / Handout via Reuters.

Following the Trump administration’s announcement on Wednesday of the pullout of American military forces from Syria, a top pro-Israel group is seeking to make sure that the move does not benefit the Jewish state’s enemies in the Middle East.

“It is imperative that Iran and Hezbollah are prevented from exploiting this development to further destabilize the region and threaten our allies,” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) said in a statement on Thursday.

“The administration should work with our regional allies and take steps to counter the mounting aggression of Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah,” AIPAC added. “Iran must not be allowed to have a permanent military presence in Syria, which is counter to US interests and threatens the peace and security of the region.”

Also on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the Syria situation with US President Donald Trump by telephone.

According to Netanyahu’s officer, the two leaders “discussed ways to continue cooperation between Israel and the US against the Iranian aggression.”

Commenting on Wednesday about the US withdrawal, Netanyahu said, “This is, of course, an American decision. We will study its timetable, how it will be implemented and — of course — its implications for us. In any case we will take care to maintain the security of Israel and to defend ourselves in this area.”