Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) issued the following statement on their meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Friday afternoon.

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage in another productive and serious discussion with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the complex challenges facing the Middle East and the world more broadly.  

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the innocent Israelis who lost their lives in terror attacks this week, including the family of Hallel Ariel, a 13-year-old Israeli-American girl who was stabbed to death in her bed by a Palestinian terrorist. These horrific attacks are a tragic reminder of the threats to the safety and security of Israeli citizens every day.

“The enduring alliance between the United States and Israel remains vitally important to achieving our shared goals of confronting the evolving threat of terrorism, addressing instability in the Middle East, and stopping Iran from achieving nuclear weapons or provoking further conflict and strife. 

“We appreciate Israel's willingness to work with partners and act as a buttress against the forces of chaos and violence in the region.  The capabilities of Israel's military, the strength of its intelligence services, and the will of its people not only protect Israel and the region—they help protect peace and stability around the world.  We remain committed to Israel's security and will continue to ensure it has an effective missile defense system and the qualitative and quantitative capabilities to address all the threats it must face.”