‘Common Strategy’: Secretary of State Rubio Visits Israel, Meets With Netanyahu

Latest Developments

Rubio in Israel: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli officials on February 16 during his first visit to the country as the top U.S. diplomat, reiterating the United States’ stance that Hamas cannot remain in power in a post-war Gaza. Rubio declared that the Iran-backed terrorist organization “must be eliminated, they must be eradicated.” On Gaza, Rubio acknowledged that while Trump’s plan to voluntarily relocate Gazans elsewhere “may have shocked and surprised many,” it breaks the mold of past peace efforts, which, he said, “we repeat over and over again, only to end up in the same place”—a situation, the Secretary stated, that “cannot continue.”
Netanyahu and Rubio Vow to Prevent Nuclear Iran, Heavy Weapons Arrive: Speaking alongside Rubio, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that with the “strong leadership of President Trump,” Israel would be able to “finish the job” against the Islamic Republic’s axis of terror proxies. Rubio reaffirmed United States’ conviction that there can “never be a nuclear Iran.” The statements coincided with the February 16 arrival of a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs previously withheld by the Biden administration.
Visit Comes Amid Hostage Deal: Rubio’s visit to Israel comes amid a ceasefire which involves the weekly release of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas in exchanges for convicted Palestinian terrorists. The deal almost collapsed after Hamas suspended hostage releases last week. Netanyahu said that the United States and Israel share a “common strategy” regarding Gaza, adding that he couldn’t “share the details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be open, as they surely will, if all our hostages are not released.”

FDD Expert Response

“Secretary Rubio – a staunch and uncompromising friend of Israel – set a clear example of just how different this administration will be from its predecessor. The previous administration wrongheadedly believed that a policy based on deference, de-escalation, and easing sanctions would placate the Islamist Regime. Rubio was clear that Tehran is the greatest threat to peace and stability in the region and importantly added that threat must be addressed.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Networks

“Secretary Rubio’s presence in Israel so soon after Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington is another unmistakable sign of the new administration’s support for Israel, and its deep-seated belief that the Hamas and its Iranian backers are the root cause of this current conflict. Rubio’s commitment to ensuring that Hamas is ‘eradicated’ is a laudable recognition of what must be done if Israel is to quell the threat from Gaza once and for all.” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director