With Middle East in Turmoil, US Secretary of State Pompeo Meets in Jerusalem With Israeli PM Netanyahu to Talk Regional Security
by Algemeiner Staff
With the Middle East in turmoil following America’s recent withdrawal from northern Syria and the subsequent Turkish offensive against the Kurds in that area, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Jerusalem on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A State Department spokesperson said Pompeo and Netanyahu “reaffirmed the strength and importance of the US-Israel bilateral relationship” and “discussed regional security.”
At a joint press appearance, Netanyahu told Pompeo, “I want to thank you and the president for your consistent support of Israel. The Middle East is a sea of troubles and turbulence, but if there is one thing that stands out, it’s the…stability and strength of the American-Israel alliance. We talked about making it even stronger, and I want to thank you for consistent support.”
Pompeo later tweeted, “Netanyahu and I had a productive meeting on efforts to counter the Iranian regime’s malign influence as well as regional developments and other issues related to Israel’s security.”
.@Netanyahu and I had a productive meeting on efforts to counter the Iranian regime’s malign influence as well as regional developments and other issues related to Israel’s security. pic.twitter.com/7AGqIMggak
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 18, 2019
Watch a video of the Pompeo-Netanyahu meeting below:
Video: Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this morning, at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Full Remarks >>https://t.co/wBrA1QB61t pic.twitter.com/SnfiuWnzUN
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 18, 2019
The meeting occurred a day after Pompeo and US Vice President Mike Pence were in Ankara, where they agreed to a deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a pause in his country’s Syria incursion.