Netanyahu hopes the U.S. “will not go back to the old JCPOA,” but “whatever happens, Israel will always reserve the right to defend itself against a regime committed to our destruction.”

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with the country’s leadership and with the declared mission of meeting with the parties in the region to “support their efforts to solidify a ceasefire” following the end of Operation Guardian of the Walls.

The unconditional ceasefire, brokered primarily by Egypt, went into effect on Friday morning after 11 days of warfare. The situation in the area is still tense, with Hamas already presenting demands and issuing threats about the resumption of the hostilities if Israel does not meet its demands.

This is Blinken’s first visit to the Jewish state since taking office as Washington’s top diplomat.

He met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, who thanked President Joe Biden and the U.S. for “firmly supporting Israel’s right to self-defense.”

Netanyahu noted that Blinken, in a previous capacity in 2014 after Operation Protective Edge, supported Israel by having its Iron Dome interceptor cache replenished at a cost of a quarter of a billion dollars, which “you personally shepherded through the system very quickly, and we remember it and we’re very grateful to you.”

READ MORE HERE: If US rejoins nuclear deal, Israel ‘will reserve the right to defend itself,’ Netanyahu tells Blinken (worldisraelnews.com)