Vice President Kamala Harris met today with Israeli Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Vice President Harris reaffirmed the United States’ strong support for the U.S.-Israel relationship, and our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.  The two leaders also discussed the importance of advancing peace, security, and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis, in particular the need to improve living conditions and ensure calm in Gaza.  They discussed a number of other important regional issues, including efforts to ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and the need to counter its regional aggression.  The Vice President affirmed U.S. support for the Abraham Accords and welcomed recent progress in Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.  They also discussed global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent need to enhance efforts to address the climate crisis in advance of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).  The two leaders also discussed the challenges of global migration and the need to address its root causes.  In this regard, the Vice President thanked the Minister for Israel’s collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development to improve access to water in Central America and to train farmers in climate-smart agriculture.

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