Dear A.,

This week, America and Israel continued to work together to address shared threats and strengthen ties.

On Thursday in Israel, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Markey Milley met with his counterparts in Israel last week.

And on Monday in Washington, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

First: Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi.
Second: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.

In all of these meetings, both American and Israeli officials reaffirmed the importance of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and their commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

And they’ve demonstrated this commitment through more than just words and meetings: Over the past few months, America and Israel have held a series of significant joint military exercises — including the single largest U.S.-Israel military drill ever.

This support is not automatic, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It is the result of decades of education and activism on the part of AIPAC and pro-Israel Americans across the country.

Today, these clear demonstrations of partnership are especially important as Iran makes unprecedented nuclear advancements (more on this below). Together, we will continue to ensure America always stands with Israel, for the benefit of both nations.

See below for more stories we are following from the past week.

Following Iran's recent dramatic nuclear advancements, Ambassador Dennis Ross, former U.S. Middle East envoy, recently warned that, “Iran is drawing closer to enriching to weapons-grade, and on its current pace could easily accumulate 10 bombs’ worth of fissile material enriched to 60 percent by the end of this year.”

• "A clear signal of a new American approach may now be essential [...] to stop [Iran's] advance toward a nuclear weapon," Ross says.
   

The latest: Last week, a top Pentagon official warned Iran could now produce the fissile material for a nuclear bomb within “about 12 days."

Yesterday, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on a crowded Tel Aviv street, injuring three Israelis, one critically.

Go deeper: The terrorist, a 23-year-old Palestinian man, is reportedly a member of Hamas and originally from the West Bank, in Israel without an entry permit.

Context: This is the latest in a wave of Palestinian terrorism that has killed 14 Israelis since 2023 began. 

• This terrorism doesn't occur in a vacuum. America must press the Palestinian leadership to end their deadly policies that directly incentivize terrorism.

This week, the Biden administration imposed a major series of sanctions aimed at the Iranian regime's "shadow banking" network.

• The sanctions target 39 entities that comprise a financial network Iran has built to evade Western sanctions.

Why it matters: This action by the United States is an important step to penalize companies evading U.S. sanctions on Iran and crack down on the regime's illicit money laundering network.

On Thursday, the South African Parliament voted to formally downgrade ties with Israel. 

• Context: The South African government has been a consistent critic of the Jewish state in recent years, including increasing support for flagrantly anti-Israel resolutions at the U.N.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment at the vote, which "does not contribute in the least to the promotion of any viable solution in the Middle East," and called it “shameful and disgraceful."

• A South African opposition party also said it was “appalled” by South Africa's decision.