Middle East experts focus on U.S.-Israel relationship during RNC

By Lauren Appelbaum and Ashley Gold

AJC Panel on U.S. Values and Interests in a Changing Middle East with Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), AJC’s Jason Isaacson, Amb. Mark Green, Amb. Barukh Binah

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 30 – While the Middle East is shifting, Israel needs to remain a stronghold, Israeli Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Washington, Amb. Barukh Binah, said Thursday.

Speaking on the final day of the Republican National Convention during a panel titled “U.S. Values and Interests in a Changing Region,” Binah focused on two concerns to the security of both Israel and the U.S. – Iran and Syria.

“Iran is a huge obstacle, a huge hurdle,” Binah said. “It is not just a threat beyond the horizon; it is a day to day nuisance.”

Regarding the U.S.-Israel relationship, the Israeli Ambassador said, “Israel does not have a better ally than the United States, and the United States does not have a better ally than Israel.”

“There is no more important value for the U.S. in the Middle East than maintaining alliances,” Binah added.

Another theme expressed by all panelists is the need for America to fight genocidal and violent regimes across the world diligently.

“What happens in the Middle East doesn’t stay in the Middle East,” fellow panelist Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) said. He stressed the need for the U.S. to combat anti-Semitism in the Arab world, the most incendiary coming from a Saudi Arabian clerk.

The panel, which also featured Senior Director of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Amb. Mark Green, was sponsored by the American Jewish Committee. AJC is a nonpartisan organization that has scheduled events during the Democratic National Convention next week as well.