United States President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone about “recent developments in the Middle East,” following a violent Hamas-led march at the Gaza border and plans for the U.S. to pull out of Syria. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to counter Iran’s aggressive expansionism in the region.
The Times of Israel reported on Wednesday that Israel voiced concerns over U.S. plans to withdraw from the war-torn country, a move Israel fears will strengthen the Assad regime and its main patron Iran.
A statement released by the White House said that “President Trump reiterated the commitment of the United States to Israel’s security,” and added that “the two leaders agreed to continue their close coordination on countering Iran’s malign influence and destabilizing activities.”
Trump had indicated on Tuesday that he expects to decide “very quickly” whether to remove U.S. troops from Syria, saying their primary mission was to defeat the terrorist group ISIS and “we’ve almost completed that task.”
At a news conference with the presidents of the Baltic nations, Trump was asked about the potential withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.
“As far as Syria is concerned, our primary mission in terms of that was getting rid of ISIS,” Trump answered. “We’ve completed that task and we’ll be making a decision very quickly, in coordination with others in the area, as to what we will do.” The mission, he said, is “very costly for our country and it helps other countries a helluva lot more than it helps us.”
Over recent weeks, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages about the U.S. presence in Syria, leading to uncertainty in Israel. The Jewish State’s top priority is to contain Iran’s malign influence in the neighboring country and stop the illicit weapons flow to the Islamic Republic’s Lebanon-based proxy Hezbollah.
On Monday, a U.S. defense official said that the country would send dozens of troops to Syria to add to the 2,000 troops already there assisting U.S. allied forces.
[Photo: White House / YouTube]