(White House) U.S. National Security Advisor James L. Jones told the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Wednesday: "Everyone must know that there is no space - no space - between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel's security. Our commitment to Israel's security is unshakable. It is as strong as ever....We understand very well that for peace and stability in the Middle East, Israel must be secure. The United States will never waiver in defense of Israel's security." "Our security relationship with Israel is important for America. Our military benefits from Israeli innovations in technology, from shared intelligence, from exercises that help our readiness and joint training that enhances our capabilities and from lessons learned in Israel's own battles against terrorism and asymmetric threats....Every day, across the whole range of our bilateral relationship, we are working together for our shared security." "One of the ways that Iran exerts influence in the Middle East is by exploiting the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. Iran uses the conflict to keep others in the region on the defensive and to try to limit its own isolation. Ending this conflict, achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and establishing a sovereign Palestinian state would therefore take such an evocative issue away from Iran, Hizbullah, and Hamas."
2010-04-22 08:30:25Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive