U.S. Ambassador Jack Lew (left) and Israeli President Isaac Herzog at an American Independence Day event in Jerusalem, July 3, 2024. Photo by Koby Gideon/GPO.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday evening hailed the “unbreakable friendship” with the United States, at the annual U.S. Independence Day reception hosted by Ambassador Jack Lew at his official residence in Jerusalem.
“My friends, we name here again a clear, self-evident and sustained bipartisan truth: Our unique alliance is based not only on the values we share, but on our willingness to defend those values,” said Herzog.
“Since October 7, Israel has been at the forefront of a global battle against terror and extremism. Against those acting on behalf of the oppressive [Iranian] ayatollah regime. And against those who seek to impose their dark vision of a future based on radical hate and oppression. Again and again, the United States has shown, in word and in deed, and in utterly bipartisan fashion, that it is Israel’s greatest ally,” he continued.
“We stand together in the long and difficult fight to defend our values, our lives, and our very way of life. Like in any family, we do not always agree on everything. And that is okay. Disagreements do not draw into question the broad basis of friendship and alliance that keeps us connected to our shared story and advances the vital interests of both of our nations.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog offers remarks ahead of U.S. Independence Day on July 3, 2024 at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Credit: Koby Gideon/GPO.
“In the name of the state and people of Israel, I express my deepest gratitude to President [Joe] Biden, to the American government, to Congress, and to the American people for the support and solidarity which has always been an anchor of our safety, and which has been evident in countless ways since October 7,” said Herzog.
“This clarity has been asserted not only on the battlefield, but in the international arena as well. The United States has stood up boldly for Israel in international institutions. Against attempts to delegitimize Israel, against hatred, prejudice and antisemitism, and in favor of the humanity that keeps us secure and whole. This is clarity and vision. This is moral high ground. This is the blessing of the United States of America to the world.
“God bless America. God bless Israel. And God bless the unbreakable friendship between our nations,” said Herzog.
Source: JNS
