Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
On the road in Ohio
He vows to increase pressure on Iran; Netanyahu to visit U.S.
President Donald Trump visits a military tank plant in Lima, Ohio, on Wednesday, where he touted its revival but also criticized the late Sen. John McCain on several fronts, prompting key Republicans to speak in defense of McCain.
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday lauded the White House’s warm ties with Israel during a visit to the country and promised to step up pressure on Iran, giving a public boost to Israel’s prime minister at the height of a tight re-election campaign.
The White House meanwhile announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be welcomed in Washington over two days next week with Israel just two weeks from its April 9 election.
Standing together, neither Netanyahu nor Pompeo mentioned the heated Israeli election campaign. But Netanyahu, facing a tough challenge from a popular former military chief and reeling from a series of corruption allegations, has repeatedly sought to focus attention on his foreign policy record and strong ties with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu thanked Pompeo for the administration’s strong stance against Iran, which Israel regards as an existential threat.
The prime minister also accused Iran of attempting to set up a terrorist network to target Israel from the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967. He used the incident to repeat his goal of international recognition for Israel’s claim on the area.
“You could imagine what would have happened if Israel were not in the Golan,” he said. “You would have Iran on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.”
Pompeo did not mention the issue, but the administration is considering recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan. Last week, in its annual human rights report, the State Department dropped the phrase “Israeli-occupied” from the Golan Heights section, instead calling it “Israeli-controlled.”
Israeli and U.S. officials say they expect that an announcement on U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan could come as early as Netanyahu’s visit to Washington next week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not yet been made public.