Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Saturday thanked the US House of
Representatives for approving new funding to protect Israelis living near
Gaza.
The Republican-dominated House of Representatives on Friday passed
a budget bill that allocates an additional $205 million for the Iron Dome
anti-rocket system, as well as funding for other Israeli defense projects such
as Arrow 2, Arrow 3 and Magic Wand.
RELATED:US budget process holds up Iron Dome expansionEditorial: Iron Dome’s partial answerThe bill still awaits approval by the
Democratic-led Senate.
Netanyahu, in a statement, expressed “deep
appreciation to President Barack Obama and the United States Congress for their
steadfast support of Israel’s security. The $205 million in budgetary funding
for the Iron Dome missile defense system will help protect Israel’s citizens and
communities against rocket fire from Gaza.
“America’s unshakeable
commitment to Israel in critical times, along with ongoing military and material
cooperation, is a testament to our shared values and the enduring bonds between
our two peoples.”
“America’s unshakeable commitment to Israel in critical
times, along with ongoing military and material cooperation, is a testament to
our shared values and the enduring bonds between our two peoples,” the prime
minister said.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the increased
budgets would significantly strengthen Israel’s defense capability against
missiles.
It was a testament to the depth of American support for
Israel’s security, he said.
Obama on Friday sent his “warmest wishes to
all those celebrating the sacred festival of Passover,” comparing Pessah’s
themes of liberation and freedom with the changes currently sweeping across the
Middle East. Obama is set host his third annual Seder at the White House on
Monday night.
Obama also said that “with its rich traditions and rituals,
[the Seder] instructs each generation to remember its past, while appreciating
the beauty of freedom and the responsibility it entails.”
The US
president said he prayed for Israel and its neighbors, while “reaffirming our
enduring commitment to Israel’s security.”
Obama wished Jews worldwide a
“Hag Sameah,” or happy holiday. “Let us all be thankful for the gifts that have
been bestowed upon us, and let us work to alleviate the suffering, poverty,
injustice, and hunger of those who are not yet free,” he said.
Obama has
annually held a Seder for his family and a small group of friends. He was the
first US president to hold a Seder at the White House.
Hilary Leila
Krieger and Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.