WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate unanimously approved the U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act, bipartisan legislation he co-sponsored which codifies the Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2016 to provide Israel with the largest U.S. security assistance package in history.
“The unanimous passage of this legislation should make one thing clear: the relationship between the United States and Israel remains strong, unshakeable and rock-solid,” said Senator Menendez. “Amid the turbulence in the region today, this legislation sends an important message to the world that the United States will take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure Israel’s ability to protect and defense herself. This important effort authorizes, increases, enhances, and enriches cooperation that reflects the critical importance of our bilateral relationship, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to quickly send it to the President’s desk for his signature into law.
“President Trump cannot continue to outsource Israel’s security, and Syria policy, to Russia. There should be no doubt at this point that Vladimir Putin cannot and will not compel Iran to remove all of its forces and proxies from Syria. Iran cannot be allowed to maintain forces and influence in Syria to perpetually threaten Israel. Now is the time for serious national security decision making, and less tweeting.”
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