(Ynet News) Yitzhak Benhorin - Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Wednesday that he had no intention to harm U.S.-Israel relations, after State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Secretary of State Kerry spoke by phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu to protest Ya'alon's comments. Ya'alon told Hegel, "My remarks had no defiance or criticism or intention to hurt the United States or its relations with Israel. The strategic relationship between the two countries is of utmost importance, as are the personal relations and common interests." Hagel thanked Ya'alon for the clarification, and told him he recognized that parts of his remarks had been taken out of context. Sources close to Ya'alon said the defense minister was "standing firm in the face of what he identifies as a danger to the state and the security of its citizens." One source said, "It is a fact his relations with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are great, and relations between the two (security) institutions are great."
2014-03-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive