Blinken, Herzog say their countries will work together for regional cooperation

Giving a joint statement with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Isaac Herzog  says the US and Israel “will work together to find further regional cooperation and for the benefit of all peoples in the region and for the benefit of peace, and of course preventing any threats against Israel.”

The president finishes in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, saying to participants in the Negev Summit Sunday and Monday: “Welcome to the State of Israel.”

Blinken says the summit “would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. What we’re seeing is normalization becoming the new normal for this region and I think it’s going to attract more and more countries as they see the benefits of these partnerships among so many of the leading countries of the region.”

Blinken says that the US is working to deepen the relationships with the countries Israel already normalized relations with, and to find new partners.

“The United States has a deep attachment to this country, to this relationship, to this partnership, to this alliance,” Blinken declares.

“We have a sacrosanct commitment to Israel’s security. President Biden reaffirmed that again recently with the provision of $1 billion toward Iron Dome, something that has saved lives in the past and if necessary will do so again in the future,” he says.

The officials do not mention Iran or Ukraine in their statements.