US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and his wife Susan on Tuesday visited Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, where the Secretary of State laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance and signed the guest book.
He also visited the US Embassy in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood, accompanied by Ambassador David Friedman, and held a working meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
At the beginning of the meeting, Rivlin said, “Mike, you are a great friend of Israel and we value your strong support very much. The United States is Israel’s most important strategic ally and we deeply appreciate what you do for the security of Israel and the region. Our countries are allies and I believe we see eye to eye on the challenges and the opportunities in our region.”
Rivlin also asked Pompeo to send his warmest regards to US President Donald Trump and thanked him on behalf of the State of Israel for the important step of opening the American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Pompeo thanked Rivlin for the warm welcome, saying: “Mr President, I am sure that you know that Israel has no better friend than the United States. These are not just words, this is what we do on a daily basis for the benefit of us both. The United States has a moral and political obligation to prevent hostile forces eroding regional stability, and that is what we will do.”
The meeting focused on the various regional challenges, particularly on Israel’s northern border, on the build-up of Iranian forces in Syria and Lebanon and on Iranian support for Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
