A U.S. Navy warship has docked in the southern Israeli port of Ashdod in the first visit by a U.S. Navy vessel to the port in almost 20 years. Officials from both countries welcomed the visit as a sign of their strong ties in the face of shared adversaries such as Iran.
Foreign navies generally prefer Haifa in the country's north as their Israeli port of call, so the arrival of the destroyer USS Ross at Ashdod may signal U.S. interest in broadening berthing options for its Mediterranean Sixth Fleet.
"This visit has significance. It symbolizes the deep alliance between Israel and the United States," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from the ship's deck, where he stood with his wife, Sara, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Friedman.
"We are determined to defend ourselves against the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria," Netanyahu said. "President [Donald] Trump gave full support to this policy of ours, and the fact that this destroyer is visiting here today is an expression of that support."
The Netanyahus toured the ship, shaking hands with officers and sailors, and then took part in a ceremony on board.
U.S. Sixth Fleet spokesman Commander Kyle Raines said in a statement to Reuters that the port visit "reinforces the strong and enduring partnership between our two nations."
Both Haifa and Ashdod face shelling threats – Haifa from Hezbollah rockets in Lebanon and Ashdod from Palestinian rockets from the Gaza Strip.
Raines did not refer to any such threats specifically, but said, "We conduct extensive analysis of all port facilities and communities where our ships pull into and have the ability to adjust our force protection measures as necessary to ensure the safety of our sailors."
