A Congressional delegation led by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mrs. Nancy Pelosi, visited the IDF yesterday (Wednesday). Speaker Pelosi has shown longstanding support for the State of Israel and the IDF. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Michael Herzog, and Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, accompanied Speaker Pelosi during her visit.
Ambassador of Israel to the United States, Mr. Michael Herzog: “Israel and the United States have a long and strong partnership that is reflected in an equally close friendship with the United States Congress. I want to thank House Speaker Pelosi for her strong support of Israel and Israel’s right and ability to defend itself against her. This strong bond between our countries promotes stability, peace and democracy in the Middle East.”
Deputy Chief of the General Staff, MG Herzi Halevi: “The connection between the United States of America and the State of Israel is deep and strong. This partnership is based on the shared values of our two nations and the strategic advantage gained through international cooperation. When we work together, we can better promote stability both in the region and around the world. On behalf of the Israel Defense Forces, thank you to Speaker Pelosi for her visit and for her continued support of the IDF and the State of Israel.”
The delegation visited the Palmachim Air Force Base and received a security briefing from the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, MG Herzi Halevi. MG Halevi presented Speaker Pelosi with an overview of the security challenges facing the State of Israel, the first being the hostile Iranian regime. Iran continues to entrench itself and finance its terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, throughout the region. The Deputy Chief of the General Staff emphasized the need for the international community to mobilize and take comprehensive and long-term actions to stop Iran’s aggression throughout the region and the world.
Speaker Pelosi was also briefed on the ongoing crisis in Lebanon exacerbated by the Hezbollah terror army. Hezbollah continues to manufacture and store weapons and explosive materials in civilian areas of Lebanon. MG Halevi also spoke about the security situation within Israel’s borders in Judea and Samaria. The IDF has recently carried out a variety of operations to thwart terrorist cell operations in the area. These terrorist groups plan and carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.
The Deputy Chief of Staff presented Speaker Pelosi with a comprehensive report on the details surrounding the tragic death of Mr. Omar Abdelmajed Assad. Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi, stated that the incident surrounding Mr. Assad’s unfortunate death was against IDF values.
As part of her visit, President Pelosi toured an Iron Dome air defense battery and was introduced to Iron Dome’s lifesaving capabilities. Following last May’s escalation, the US House of Representatives debated whether or not to pass a bill to replace the Iron Dome interceptors used during the operation. In September, the House of Representatives passed the “Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act” with overwhelming support. This bill provided Israel with US$1 billion to resupply Iron Dome interceptors. The Iron Dome air defense system has one purpose: to protect civilians from terrorist attacks. Every attack carried out by the FDI is carefully planned based on accurate intelligence and undergoes a comprehensive approval process.