US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks about Iran and North Korea after reading a statement at the State Department, on April 19, 2017. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP)
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson congratulated Israel on its 69th Independence Day late Tuesday night.
“On behalf of President Trump and the American people, I am delighted to offer my congratulations to all Israelis as you celebrate your 69th Independence Day,” Tillerson said in a statement.
“As the President remarked before meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu in February, ‘the partnership between our two countries built on our shared values has advanced the cause of human freedom, dignity and peace.’
“As Israel has endured and flourished over nearly seven decades despite unfathomable challenges, so too has the unbreakable bond between our two nations,” he said, in contrast to his predecessor John Kerry, who stayed mum on the country’s birthdays.
Tillerson added that the “steadfast commitment” of the US to the State of Israel would “remain a constant.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
“We look forward to even further strengthening a partnership that has long contributed to our mutual security and prosperity. I wish the people of Israel a Yom Ha’atzmaut sameach (Happy Independence Day),” he said.
Israeli Sikorsky CH-53 Stallion helicopters perform during an air show over the beach in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on May 2, 2017 as Israel marks Independence Day, 69 years since the establishment of the Jewish state. (AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ)
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this,please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
