1 of 3 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from left, meets with a bipartisan group of senators at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to discuss matters in the Middle East. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
July 9 (UPI) — Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday met with a bipartisan group of U.S. senators and the Defense Department while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., works to end funding for Israel.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were among more than a dozen senators who met with Netanyahu while the prime minister was still visiting the U.S. Capitol this week.
The meeting occurred after Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump on Monday and Tuesday evening to discuss Iran and Gaza.
Tuesday’s meeting with Trump mostly focused on Gaza and efforts to secure a cease-fire and an eventual end to hostilities in Gaza that began after Hamas attacked, killed and kidnapped Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.
Celebrating the end of the war with Iran
In addition to meeting with senators on Wednesday, Netanyahu also toured the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while celebrating the end of the 12-day war with Iran.
“Absolute thanks, gratitude and admiration for [Central Command], for the U.S. military, for the secretary of defense and the president of the United States,” Netanyahu said, as reported by the Department of Defense.
Netanyahu told Hegseth the Israeli people, the Israeli government and others around the world are grateful for the June 21 Operation Hammer U.S. aerial strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Hegseth lauded “the skill of your professionals” in Israel’s military for softening Iran’s defenses and establishing aerial superiority that enabled the successful attacks.
“What was accomplished was absolutely incredible,” Hegseth told the prime minister. “It was an honor to be part of it.”
Netanyahu said the “entire world took note” of the strength of the alliance between Israel and the United States.
“It was like the roar of two lions,” he said, “and it was heard around the world.”
Greene seeks end of U.S. military funding for Israel
Despite the military success in Iran, Greene on Wednesday sought to end financial support for Israel’s military.
Greene told former Trump administration chief strategist Steve Bannon that she will introduce amendments to remove funding for Israel from the National Defense Authorization Act.
“There are some parts of this NDAA that I cannot support, and that’s continued foreign aid and foreign funding,” Greene told Bannon while being interviewed on his “War Room” podcast, The Hill reported.
Greene said she will introduce amendments that would eliminate $500 million in defense funding for Israel, which she said already gets $3.4 billion in annual funding from the United States.
She called Israel a “nuclear-armed” country that doesn’t need another $500 million from the United States for defense spending.