Washington, DC –
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement in advance of next week’s visit to Washington, DC, of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I am pleased that Prime Minister Netanyahu will return to visit the U.S.
  I welcome him as leader of America’s closest and most reliable ally in the Middle East.
 
Our two nations are close partners in fighting extremism and terrorists in a very dangerous region of the world, in addition to our strong democratic, cultural and economic ties.
The bonds between Israel and the U.S. run deep,
based on mutually shared interests, values and respect.

“I look forward to my scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday and discussing ways to advance a stable and lasting peace in the Middle East, coordinated efforts to ensure terrorists groups find no safe haven, as well as the urgent need for effective strategies for preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state.
 The U.S. will continue to stand by Israel.”