U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis welcomed Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to the Pentagon on Tuesday (March 7) where they were expected to discuss the shared commitment to stability in the Middle East as well as mutual security challenges.
Lieberman’s visit occurs as U.S. President Donald Trump is following through on a promised shift in U.S. policy toward Israel after years of friction between former President Barack Obama and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump recently dropped a U.S. commitment to a two-state solution, long a bedrock of its Middle East policy, even as he urged Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to curb settlement construction.
(REUTERS)
