 security. We are obligated to be cautious at every step, but to any country, any nation that wants peace and normalization with us. We say, Alam As-Salaam. Shalom. Welcome. Mr. President, you will meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. I would like you to pass them all a message from us. Our hand is outstretched for peace. We are ready to share our technology and experience, ready for our people to meet and learn about one another, ready for our scientists to collaborate and our businesses to cooperate. The Book of Psalms says all of this in one verse. Chapter 29 reads, Hashem oz leamo iten, Hashem yivarech etamo beshalom. The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace. If we are strong, if we are determined, if the Word understands that we will not hesitate to defend ourselves and our values, peace can come. Mr. President, our relationship runs deep. It crosses party lines. It connects not only our governments but also our peoples. This friendship is one of the cornerstones of Israel's national security. It is moving and it is certainly not taken for granted. Throughout all your years in public service, you were one of the chief architects of this relationship. For that, you have the everlasting gratitude of the people of Zion. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you very much, Prime Minister. An eloquent statement. I'm honored to be back here in the capital of Israel. As I said yesterday, I've met with every Prime Minister since cold in my ear. It was a pleasure to be able to spend some time with you today and to get to know you better. Mr. Prime Minister, a deep love and respect for Israel has only taken a deeper hold of my heart and my gut since I first visited here back in 1973 as a young senator. I'm returning for my 10th visit as President this time as President of the United States. But I've never forgotten what Prime Minister Mayor told me when I was a brand new junior senator from the state of Delaware. It was just weeks before the Yom Kippur War and she could see on my face that I was worried. As we stood before the press taking questions and pictures, she looked at me and without press hearing, she said, Don't look so worried, Senator. Israel has a secret weapon. I looked at her as I turned my head and she's going to tell me. I just looked at her. She said, We have nowhere else to go. I'll never forget what she told me. That was nearly 50 years ago. 50 years ago where the threats then were real and the threats to Israel remain real today. The scourge of anti-Semitism still marches around the world. We must never forget the horrors which an unchecked hatred can lead. And that's why I immediately when I returned, I wanted to visit Yad Vashem when I landed yesterday to bear witness to remember to renew our vow of never, never again. At the same time, the Israeli Israeli of today is not the Israel 50 years ago. You've cultivated new resources, capabilities, new relationships, including a growing integration with neighbors in the region. You've new tools that keep Israel strong and secure. You have an ironclad commitment from the United States of America to Israel's security, an ironclad commitment. We'll make sure that Israel can defend itself by itself. When I was vice president on the President Obama, we passed a record-setting agreement for Israel's security, 38 billion dollars over a 10-year period. And I was proud that last year we also provided an additional one billion dollars to replenish Israel's iron dome supplies, making 2022 the largest single-year military assistance that Israel has ever received. Yesterday, I viewed some of Israel's iron dome technology as well as a very promising new iron beam technology, a laser-enabled missile defense system. These technologies in advance are critical. They're critical because every rocket that is intercepted is a potential life, perhaps more, that has been saved. As we move forward together, partners in both security and in innovation, the United States and Israel defense sectors will cooperate in new high-energy laser weapon systems that can defend Israeli lives as well as lives of American service members. Israel and the United States also stand together to defend fundamental values and underwrite global security, prosperity and freedom, not just for us but for many around the world. And Putin's assault on Ukraine is a challenge to the peace and stability everywhere in the world. Putin's war must be a strategic failure, and the free world must sustain or resolve to help Ukraine defend its democracy. The United States will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people who have been devastated and displaced by the Russian violence. Today, you and I also discuss the American commitment to ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. This is a vital security interest of both Israel and the United States, and I would add for the rest of the world as well. I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome, and we'll continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region, including support for terrorism, ballistic missile program that continues, and the proliferation of weapons to terrorists and proxies like Hezbollah. We'll also continue building on the Abraham Accords, which I strongly support because they deepen Israel's integration into the broader region and establish lasting ties for business, cooperation, and tourism. We've just completed the first Leader's Summit among Israel, India, and the United States and the United Arab Emirates to deepen the economic ties between the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific to create new partnerships to tackle global challenges like food insecurity and clean energy technology. Regional integration is also the goal of historic Nagev Forum, which took place here in Israel this past March. Israel's integration in the region, Israel's peace with its neighbors, these are essential goals. Tomorrow I'll be the first American President to fly from Israel directly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. That represents important progress, and when I see the Saudi leadership tomorrow I'll be carrying a direct message, a message of peace and extraordinary opportunities that a more stable and integrated region could bring to the region and, quite frankly, the whole world. As we work together toward greater integration, we'll also continue to work toward a lasting negotiated peace between the State of Israel and the Palestinian people. Israel must remain an independent democratic Jewish state the ultimate guarantee and guarantor of security of the Jewish people, not only in Israel but the entire world. I believe that to my core, and the best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land living side by side in peace and security. Both states, fully respecting equal rights of their citizens, both people enjoying equal measures of freedom and any more that takes us further from that outcome I believe anything is detrimental to the long-term security of Israel. Prime Minister Lapid, Israel and the United States are natural partners because we share the same values. Our people share the same innovative spirit, the same determination to preserve and persevere through every single challenge. That's why we're launching a new high-level strategic dialogue on technology that's going to help Israel and the United States harness critical and emerging technologies and apply them to issues that matter most to our mutual futures. So thank you, Mr. President, for welcoming me back, for fostering and enduring bonds and continuing them that link the people of Israel and the United States. That's what this visit is about. Affirming those ties is stretched back to just 11 minutes, 11 minutes after Israel declared statehood, when the United States became the first country in the world to recognize Israel. And I assure you it will be the last country in the world ever to walk away from Israel. Ties that have grown deeper and broader with each passing year and now encompass a 21st century partnership one grounded on age's values and looking squarely at the future. We're here to stay, Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, like it or not, we're with you. Home is no way out. I want to thank you very, very much for your hospitality and I mean from the bottom of my heart that your security, the security is going to determine the security of Jewish people around the world for the rest of the world. It's critical and we're in it with you. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. And before we move on to the question, there is a technical change on the stage. Yes, we're just standing here. Now we'll be taking questions from the press. The first one to ask a question is Ms. Gilly Cohen from Channel 11 Israeli Television. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to ask will you set a deadline for the nuclear talks or define a certain stage when you will say there is no more opportunity to revive the nuclear deal and what will happen afterwards? And another question, sir. You'll visit tomorrow East Jerusalem and you won't be accompanied by an Israeli official. Does this represent a change in your administration's view regarding the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and if East Jerusalem is part of it? Thank you. Answer your last question is no. With regard to your first question, we've laid out for the people, for the leadership of Iran, what we're willing to accept in order to get back in the JCPOA. We're waiting for the response, whenever incurred, when that will come. I'm not certain, but we are not going to wait forever. Mr. President. No. The question was for the president. Mr. President, do you want to call on the next question? Sure. I was you give a list here. I Steve Holland of Reuters. Thank you, sir. Thank you. There is some opposition back home to your meeting with Saudi leaders this week. What will you say to Saudi leaders specifically to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the Khashoggi murder and other human rights practices? And if I may, Prime Minister Lapid, how close are you to an agreement with Saudi Arabia to gain overflight rights and should we expect that soon? Thank you. With regard to the question you asked me, my views on Khashoggi amendment absolutely positively clear. And I have never been quite about talking about human rights. The question that I'm the reason I'm going to Saudi Arabia, though, is much broader is to promote U.S. interest. Promote U.S. interest in a way that I think we have an opportunity to reassert what I think we've made a mistake of walking away from our influence in the Middle East. I'm going to be meeting with nine other heads of state. It's not just as happens to be in Saudi Arabia. And so there are so many issues at stake that I want to make clear that we can continue to lead in the region and not create a vacuum, a vacuum that is filled by China and or Russia against the interest of both Israel and the United States and many other countries. And so the purpose of the visit is to coordinate with nine heads of state what are in U.S. interest and I believe in Israel's interest as well. I will bring up, I always bring up human rights, I always bring up human rights, but my position on Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone doesn't understand it in Saudi Arabia and anywhere else, then they haven't been around for a while. About the overflights of Saudi Arabia, of course, as I was saying in my speech, we are all for promoting normalizations with every country in the region that is possible, but since the president is going to Saudi Arabia and there will be a finalization of the issues over there, I will let the president finalize this when he's in Jeddah. Thank you Prime Minister. I'm optimistic. And the next question will come from Ms. Tal Schneider from Times of Israel. Hi, hello. Thank you for being in Jerusalem. It's good to see you. Israelis have been waiting to hear developments on the visa waiver program. We know that there are hurdles but to get there. But can you set a deadline after which Israeli will be granted with a waiver to enter the U.S.? Will you bring this issue with the opposition leader Netanyahu when you meet him today? And another question for our Prime Minister. There is a discussion about regional defense cooperation that includes Israel and the Saudi. But we hear that there are technical difficulties as well as other reservations from the Saudis with respect to defense system, which means it's mostly about Israel sharing its intelligence, its intel. How do you see the cooperation moving along with those problems? Thank you. With regard to your question to me, we are working very, very, very hard to eliminate the lack of precision in the applications many times for the visa program. It is my hope and expectation that in the next several months we'll have it worked out. Jumping on the subject and we urge the Israeli opposition to become to be more responsible and help with the legislation needed to finalize this. As for your question, it is no secret that we're doing our best with our American friends to work on regional security architecture. So this was no secret the details of this apparently are. So I'm not going to go into details on this but we are working with everybody we can in order to promote regional security, especially facing Iran's regime and the terror policy they bring to the table. The next person to ask us a question I guess is Nadia. Thank you Mr. President. Nadia Bilbese of Al Arabiya Television. Allow me to press you a little bit on Iran if I may. You're visiting the Middle East here in Israel and then you're going to Saudi Arabia where you're meeting with King Salman and other GCC leaders. You know in advance before you come here their position, their concern, their fear about Iran nuclear program and Iran's support for proxies in the region. Tangebly what are you offering them to assuage their fear and concern? Practically it is anything that you're offering them to make them feel comfortable that the United States are on the same page with them. And if I may Mr. Prime Minister, what are the differences and the similarities between you and President Biden regarding Iran? Do you see eye to eye on all the issues? You alluded to some differences just now and if I may I wanted you to confirm to us today your position in supporting the two-state solution as a caretaker prime minister and if should you be elected as the next prime minister of Israel. Thank you so much. With regard to Iran and convincing the Saudis and others that we're mean what we say is we mean what we say. They have an opportunity to accept this agreement's been laid down if they don't it may be absolutely clear we will not let me say it again we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Well with regards to a question about Iran we have an open discussion about what is the best way to deal with it but I don't think there's a light between us in terms of these are all means to an end. We cannot allow Iran to become nuclear. Israel serves the rights to act freely on the subject but we are of course discussing everything with our greatest ally which is the United States. About the two-state solution I haven't changed my position. The two-state solution is a guarantee for a strong democratic status for Israel with the Jewish majority. Thank you very much. This concludes the signing ceremony and the press conference. Please remain seated until the leaders have left the room. Thank you very much. This concludes the session.