On January 30, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken landed in Israel. He was met by his Israeli counterpart and spoke briefly at the airport before heading to a meeting with PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

The visit comes just days after two serious security events, one being the deadly terror attacks which occurred in Jerusalem over Shabbat, and the second being the mysterious drone strike on an Iranian munitions base. Blinken’s visit also comes only a week after a major joint drill between Israel and the US, emphasizing once again Israeli-American solidarity, even in the face of differences. This unified stance was also expressed explicitly by Blinken in his meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Their meeting focused largely on regional military cooperation, especially in countering Iran.

Blinken has also emphasized unity and the importance of democracy. He met with both coalition and opposition leaders as well as the leaders of a grassroots organization which fosters Jewish-Arab relations. He will now head to a meeting with the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mansour Abbas.

Please pray for the continued strengthening of Israeli-American cooperation and common interests. Please pray for both nations’ leaders in their strategic response to Iran. Lastly, please pray for internal unity in Israel.