Sen. Johnson meets with Netanyahu
Leaders discuss border, region
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson held an hourlong meeting Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said they discussed border security as well as broader Middle East issues.
During his weekend visit to Israel, Johnson visited the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza and also examined walls and fencing along the West Bank and the country’s southern border with the Sinai, which is part of Egypt.
Johnson said Tuesday that during his meeting with Netanyahu they talked about the possibility of the United States moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a campaign promise made by President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump has announced his intention to nominate bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman to serve as ambassador to Israel. Friedman is a proponent of the move, which could cause outrage within the Arab world. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
“That’s going to be a decision for the incoming administration,” Johnson said. “And I’ll let the president-elect and his nominee speak to that. Personally, I don’t have a problem with that. I saw the consulate there. It’s certainly large enough. All you have to do is change the sign.”
Johnson said he thought that Netanyahu was “very supportive” of Friedman’s nomination.
Johnson said he also spoke with Netanyahu “about the mess that is Syria. What we can do, what we must do. We spoke about the rising threat of Iran, not just in the Middle East but globally.”
Summarizing the conversation with Netanyahu, Johnson said: “He believes and I believe Israel is America’s most important and best friend in the Middle East. And America’s policy toward Israel, we should be strengthening our best friend, our most important ally in the region. We should treat it with respect.”
“We should do everything we can to strengthen Israel and not weaken it,” Johnson said.
Johnson chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has held numerous hearings on border security. Under Trump, it’s anticipated that the U.S. will strengthen the southern border with Mexico.
Johnson indicated the U.S. could take lessons from Israel’s 163-mile fence with the Sinai, which he said cost around $2.5 million per mile. The fence was originally built to stop the flow of migrants.
“Very effective, very reasonable cost,” Johnson said Tuesday. He said the fence is see-through and done with rebar and is designed so that Israeli authorities can respond to crossings within five minutes.
Johnson said the U.S doesn’t need 1,700 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico but that there is a need for “more and better fencing” on the border.
“So much of the fence that we produce is a joke,” he added. “It’s not a barrier whatsoever.”
Johnson said he wants to “facilitate the right type of fencing” that is cost-effective and useful.
Johnson said during his visit to the Kerem Shalom border crossing he saw trucks ferrying goods between Israel and Gaza.
“There’s a narrative Israel is not allowing foodstuffs and assistance for Gaza to survive,” Johnson said. “They are processing around 850 truckloads of goods per day.”