Following productive bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Peres and National Security Advisor Yossi Cohen on May 7, National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice and the U.S. delegation participated in the U.S.-Israel Consultative Group meetings in Jerusalem on May 8. The intensive and highly constructive meetings covered a range of bilateral and regional security issues.

On Iran, the U.S. delegation reaffirmed our commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The U.S delegation briefed on the ongoing diplomatic efforts of the P5+1 and EU to reach a comprehensive solution that peacefully resolves the international community’s concerns with its program. The delegations held thorough consultations on all aspects of the challenge posed by Iran, and pledged to continue the unprecedented coordination between the United States and Israel as the negotiations continue.

On other critical regional and bilateral issues, the delegations shared views candidly and intensively, in the spirit of the extraordinary and unprecedented security cooperation between our two countries.

The U.S. Delegation included Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of the Treasury David Cohen, Assistant Secretary of Defense Derek Chollet, Deputy Director of the CIA Avril Haines, Director of the Joint Staff Lieutenant General David Goldfein, Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East Phil Gordon, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro.

National Security Advisors Rice and Cohen agreed that the U.S.-Israel Consultative Group is an effective forum for strategic interagency security consultations between the U.S. and Israeli Governments, and will continue to meet regularly in Washington and Jerusalem.