For 72 years, Israel has extended its hand in peace to its neighbors.
Tomorrow, Israel will sign historic peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to establish full diplomatic relations with these two Arab countries.
These achievements are a testament to the fact that a strong and secure Israel, backed by the United States, is critical to bringing reconciliation to the region.
But Iranian-backed terror persists. In recent months, Israel has continued to face multiple security threats across its northern and southern borders.
These threats included an Iranian plan to poison Israel's civilian water supply, two terrorist infiltration attempts across Israel's northern border, and terrorists in Gaza firing multiple rockets and explosive balloons into Israel.
Just last weekend, the leaders of Iranian-backed terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas met openly in Lebanon to discuss a global terror front against Israel.
Ensuring Israel has the ability to defend itself, by itself, against these and other threats is at the core of our work together. But vital U.S. support for Israel does not simply happen.
The imminent threats facing Israel are a reminder that we must always rise above political disagreements of the day so we can always work with America’s leaders on both sides of the aisle to keep Israel safe and America strong.
When we do that, we ensure that Israel has the security it needs to take risks for peace.