US President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talk in the midst of a joint news conference in the White House in Washington, US, Jan. 28, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

i24 News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for a state visit on Sunday to the US, where he will meet with President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the 12-day operation against Iran and the scaled-up attempt to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu said that the visit is a “great opportunity” to “expand the circle of peace,” referring to indications that several countries in the region will sign normalization agreements with Israel, joining the Abraham Accords.

“In a conversation with President Trump, I will first thank him for his strong mobilization in favor of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We have never had such a friend in the White House. And our joint mobilization brought a great victory against our common enemy – Iran. Iran has put our destruction on its flag.”

Despite years of fears over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and air defenses, Netanyahu said “the IDF brought it to action, and so did the Mossad and all the security forces, and not only there, also against Lebanon. For years we feared what Hezbollah would do and if we could cope with it. And we could, and also against Hamas.”

“In a conversation with President Trump, I will first thank him for his strong mobilization in favor of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We have never had such a friend in the White House. And our joint mobilization brought a great victory against our common enemy – Iran. Iran has put our destruction on its flag.”

Despite years of fears over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and air defenses, Netanyahu said “the IDF brought it to action, and so did the Mossad and all the security forces, and not only there, also against Lebanon. For years we feared what Hezbollah would do and if we could cope with it. And we could, and also against Hamas.”