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Netanyahu: ‘US and Israel will stand shoulder to shoulder’

Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “strong support of Israel” during his address to AIPAC on Monday. 

Addressing the 2017 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual conference in Washington on Monday via satellite, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his firm conviction that in the Trump era, the United States and Israel will team up to rein in Iranian aggression.

“I am confident that the US and Israel will stand together shoulder to shoulder to ensure that light triumphs over darkness and hope triumphs over despair,” said Netanyahu. “That means preventing Iran from ever developing nuclear weapons.”

“Our partnership means also confronting Iran’s aggression in the region and its terrorism around the world,” Netanyahu added.

Netanyahu has expressed outrage over Iran’s recent acts of aggression, including ballistic missile tests. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, placed “Iran on notice.”

“As you know, I had an exceptionally warm meeting with President Trump last month,” remarked Netanyahu. “I want to thank the president for his strong support of Israel.”

The Israeli leader stressed that it was not just Trump’s rhetoric, but also his actions that demonstrated friendship towards Israel.

“The administration has shown its commitment to Israel by turning those words into policies,” Netanyahu said. “You see that expressed in Ambassador Haley standing up for what’s right for Israel and the truth at the United Nations.”

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“You see it in the budget request submitted by President Trump,” he continued. “It leaves military aid to Israel fully funded even as the fiscal belt is pulled tighter, and we appreciate that.”

While slashing $10 billion from the US State Department, Trump’s proposed 2018 budget will provide “$3.1 billion to meet the security assistance commitment to Israel…ensuring that Israel has the ability to defend itself from threats and maintain its qualitative military edge.”

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News