Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Jerusalem on Tuesday morning, as part of Blinken's visit in the Middle East.
During their meeting, Gallant and Blinken discussed the security cooperation between the two countries, the military challenges of the State of Israel with a focus on Iran and its affiliates, and the deepening of regional ties to improve security stability.
Gallant thanked Secretary Blinken for the firm stance and support of the US administration in strengthening and preserving Israel's qualitative advantage in the Middle East.
"Your visit to Israel comes at a critical time and sends a clear message to our adversaries and partners in the region: the US and Israel are united against the Iranian threat and against anyone who tries to destabilize the region. We completely agree with the fact that Iran must not be allowed to obtain military nuclear weapons," Galant said.
Lapid meets Blinken
Shortly after, the Leader of the opposition MK Yair Lapid also met with Secretary Blinken.
"I was very happy to meet my good friend Tony Blinken this morning. We talked a lot about Israel's security challenges, near and far, and the steps required to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state," Lapid said.
"We talked about the important progress of the "Negev Forum" and the tremendous importance of the activity of the forum we established together for the regional stability and prosperity of Israel. The special relationship between the US and Israel is based not only on shared interests but first and foremost on shared values of the principles of democracy and the preservation of democratic institutions."