Washington D.C. —Yesterday, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff met with Yair Lapid, former Prime Minister of Israel and current Leader of the Opposition in the Israeli Knesset.
The two met in Sen. Ossoff’s Washington, D.C. office — their second engagement in the past six weeks, following a late July phone call.
Sen. Ossoff and Mr. Lapid held an in-depth discussion of recent developments in Israel and the United States, the status of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and current regional diplomatic initiatives.
Sen. Ossoff and Mr. Lapid affirmed their shared conviction that the vital U.S.-Israel alliance is and must remain founded upon shared commitments to democratic values and institutions.
Sen. Ossoff continues to engage deeply on U.S. foreign policy in the region, forging strong working relationships with key leaders in the Middle East.
Last year, Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote of Sen. Ossoff’s sustained regional engagement: “Not only has the Georgia senator crafted lasting relationships with Israeli, Palestinian and political, diplomatic and military officials in the region, he has done something arguably even more notable: spearheaded significant bipartisan efforts aimed at pushing conflict resolution and a political settlement forward.”
Since taking office, Sen. Ossoff has engaged intensively with regional leaders to advance U.S. interests and national security, including meetings with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett; Israeli President Isaac Herzog; His Majesty, King Abdullah of Jordan; Lebanon Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun; and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.
Last August, Sens. Ossoff and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) successfully pushed the Biden Administration to protect a key U.S. military and diplomatic post in the Middle East, ensuring the Department of Defense maintained the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) position at the three-star rank.
