Posted on 05/01/23
| News Source: i24
The U.S. House Speaker tells i24NEWS normalization with Israel benefits 'every single person and country for a better life and future'
In a speech in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) plenum, United States House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy touted Israeli-U.S. ties and pledged Washington would continue to support the Jewish state's security in the face of Iranian aggression.
In response to a question by i24NEWS, McCarthy denounced Iran's actions and said that normalization with Israel means a "better life and future for every person and country" in the region.
“What Iran does to complicate things is funding terrorism – Hezbollah in Lebanon, a civil war in Yemen, militias around the region, try to set missiles to shoot at Israel," he said. "That doesn't help anyone."
He continued to urge that the Abraham Accords – the 2020 U.S.-brokered agreement which saw Israel normalize ties with a handful of Arab states – would benefit every country in the region.
"Everybody in the region looked at the benefits of the Abraham Accords on both sides, with economics, people, tourism, security, and safety. When you look at the region, everyone can benefit – be it by working together or sharing energy."
In what was McCarthy's first overseas trip as U.S. House Speaker, he said, “There’s no place I’d rather be."
“Israel’s rebirth is nothing less than a modern miracle and I thank you for it. Today, 75 years after declaring independence, Israel’s lights shine brighter than ever before.”
Before McCarthy's speech, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the plenum, during which he lauded Israeli-U.S. cooperation in national security, challenges in the region – particularly Iran, "which threatens not only Israel but also the United States and the entire free world" – and noted the importance of "expanding the circle of peace between Israel and Arab countries."
Ahead of the Knesset plenum, McCarthy met with Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.
McCarthy and Netanyahu met at the David Citadel Hotel ahead of a larger extended meeting as part of a lunch with the bipartisan delegation the Republican leader has spearheaded to the Jewish state.