Atlanta, Ga. — On Sunday, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff held a call with Yair Lapid, former Prime Minister of Israel and current Leader of the Opposition in the Israeli Knesset.
Sen. Ossoff and Mr. Lapid held an in-depth and wide-ranging discussion of U.S.-Israel relations, as well as regional diplomatic and security developments.
Sen. Ossoff continues to engage deeply on the U.S.-Israel relationship, 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.
