Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting of the new government at the Chagall Hall in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem May 24, 2020. Photo: Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS

JNS.org – Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with a bipartisan delegation of US Congress members on Tuesday in Shlomi, a town in northern Israel near the Lebanese border.

The American delegation was led by US House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It also included Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.); and Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)

“We discussed the region’s most pressing challenges, starting with Iran and its destabilizing influence. We also reiterated the unwavering bond between the US and Israel,” Gantz tweeted.

I was honored to meet with a bipartisan delegation of US Congress members led by @leaderhoyer & @senatorcardin. We discussed the region’s most pressing challenges, starting with Iran & its destabilizing influence. We also reiterated the unwavering bond between the US & Israel. pic.twitter.com/N1DiccYhRF

— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) November 9, 2021

Earlier this month, Gantz spoke with his US counterpart, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, concerning Iran’s nuclear program and the threat it poses, where the two “agreed to meet soon to deepen our discussion on strategic issues and military cooperation,” according to Gantz.

Meanwhile, another congressional delegation organized by J Street met with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday.