As we reported President Biden arrived in Israel today, the beginning
of a four day Middle East trip that will also take him to Saudi Arabia.
Much of today's focus was on Israel's military and regional cooperation
against Iran.
But as Nick Schifrin reports, president Biden also began his trip
with a visit to a solemn site.
It is one of Israel's most sacred spaces, the Holocaust Museum, Yad
Vashem Hall of Remembrance President Biden and Israeli leaders on
the mosaic floor with the names of Nazi murder sites.
President Biden embraced American Israeli Holocaust survivors
paused above the crypt full of ashes of Holocaust victims.
Never again say the U. S. And Israel. Israel has tried to guarantee
itself. Today it demonstrated for the president, its newest military
technology.
Target launched an air defense system that uses lasers to shoot down
missiles. Israel's primary concern is Iran and an interview on Israeli
TV released tonight, President Biden warned Iran the military option
was on the table in the past that you'll do anything and you say
it again that you'll ensuring Iran would not acquire nuclear weapons.
Does that also mean sir, that you would use
force against Iran? Is that what that means
Resort? Yes, President. Biden still wants an Iranian nuclear deal
over Israeli concerns. But today he emphasized his support for Israeli
security because the connection
Between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep.
We have reformed the unshakable commitment to the United States to
Israel's security. One of Israel's most critical points when it comes
to security is here, its northern border with Lebanon. Israel is
built this wall just in the last few months on the other side of
it, Hezbollah and its 130,000 rockets.
I believe in God
in Lebanon. Hezbollah holds extensive political and military power.
It's fought two wars with Israel and Israel says it continues to
fire and deploy advanced missiles with Iranian technology on the
border.
Including in Lebanese towns that pure over Israel's wall between
the country's a single barrel that marks the blue line
in buffer zone.
Today is really troops Patrol along the border. The barbed wire is
Israel just a few 100 ft. Away. Hezbollah shack behind its fluttering
front door. Members of Hezbollah hid from our camera. The group calls
this an office for environmental study. What In fact you're seeing
Is a Hezbollah intelligence collection center, and it's there in
order to monitor Israeli activity and to collect intelligence on
everything on the Israeli border. Jonathan Henriquez is in the Israeli
defense Forces active reserves and is the I DS former international
spokesman interview was arranged by the I D F talking about
95% of the Israeli population is within rocket range of Hezbollah.
Now today have 130,000 rockets hidden behind Lebanese civilians,
and all of them aimed or in the future will be aimed at Israeli civilians.
And now there is a new wave of tension the maritime border between
Israel and Lebanon near a gas field that Israel considers vital to
its future security. Last week, unmanned Hezbollah drones approach
the field, the Israeli military shot them down.
But here on the coast closest to the gas field, Israel knows the
threat is growing. Thanks to Iranian technology, standard level
is provided by Iran. Iran has a vast
Deep and very developed U A V industry and today there are Iranian
TVs in Yemen in Syria in Lebanon in Iraq and of course in Iran.
That's spreading Iranian threat himself spark regional coordination
that Israel and the US are eager to expand during your visit.
We will discuss matters of national security. We will discuss building
a new security and economy architecture with the nations of the Middle
East. Israel certainly hopes that architecture runs through Jerusalem.
They have the military technology here, thanks to
US support. What they're hoping, according to Israeli officials,
is that President Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia creates more political
support Judy for more regional integration between Israel and their
Arab neighbors.
So, Nick, you mentioned regional cooperation. How much of that is
actually happening there?
The key. There is aired defense, Judy and in order to have regional
air defense. You have to be able to communicate instantly and digitally,
and I talked to a former senior military official has been in the
middle.
Of this effort, and this official said that they were making progress.
They held some exercises regionally. They shared some data, and they
said that there are countries that are cooperating fully Jordan's
Bahrain, Egypt and Israel. But so far Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates, according to this official have not been communicating
as much as they need to.
In Kuwait and Iraq are actually actively resisting. So Judy. There
is a long way to go before you could actually get the kind of integrated
defense and procedures that are required to do so that Israel is
hoping for But again, Israel and the US believe that the momentum
is positive.
And Nick, What are you hearing from US officials about the possibility
of military action against Iran.
Yeah, those comments that we saw in the story just at the top that
President Biden made this evening that military action against Iran
could be the last resort. US. Officials insist that that is not a
new message or a new change in policy at all. They cite examples
from Secretary of State Antony Blinken talking about military resort
military action.
Been the last resort. But clearly Judy. The timing of those comments
are vital as President Biden arrives in the Middle East for the first
time as president. Regional actors here will certainly see those
comments and those comments will be reassuring.
Two Israeli officials despite Judy that ongoing disagreement over
whether the U. S and Iran should sign another nuclear deal. Certainly
they caught our attention. Nick Schifrin reporting from Israel. Thank
you, Nick.