“There has been no stronger ally for Israel in the White House than President [Donald] Trump,” declared Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his visit to Israel.
President Trump has made clear that bringing home the remaining hostages remains a priority, said Secretary Rubio.
“He’s working in very close coordination but with the prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and his government in ensuring that that happens. That must happen. It’s not optional. And that’s a goal we share in common and that is something we’ll work on very closely together.”
President Trump has also laid out a very bold view of the future for Gaza. It should not be the same tired ideas of the past that have led to repeated cycles of violence.
Related to that, Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force, stressed Secretary Rubio.
“And frankly, as long as it stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible. They must be eliminated. It must be eradicated.”
With regard to Syria, said Secretary Rubio, “replacing one destabilizing force for another” would not be a positive development. “And that is something that we will watch very carefully.”
The U.S. supports a strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hezbollah, said Secretary Rubio.
Iran remains the single greatest source of instability in the region, said Secretary Rubio.
“Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilizing activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people who call this region home, is Iran. ... By Iran I mean its regime – a regime, by the way, its people don’t support. The people of Iran are victims of that regime.”
“There can never be a nuclear Iran,” declared Secretary Rubio.
“A nuclear Iran that could then hold itself immune from pressure and from action. That can never happen. The President has been clear about that as well.”
Secretary Rubio closed his remarks by lauding Israel’s “extraordinary story of bravery – a nation founded in the ashes and in the aftermath of a horrifying crime against humanity – that’s stood from its very inception ... against threats from every angle and every corner, and has served as an example to the world of a pluralistic society” and “a free enterprise democracy.”
