Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke Saturday night with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following the building collapse disaster in the town of Surfside.
The Prime Minister expressed to the Governor his condolences on behalf of the Israeli public over the disaster and noted that the State of Israel would assist the American authorities in any way needed.
"The United States is our greatest friend and we stand by your side during this difficult time. We all pray for the safety of the injured. I have instructed all officials in the Israeli government to assist in any way necessary," Bennett said.
On Saturday a joint IDF and Ministry of Foreign Affairs aid delegation will depart to assist at the destruction site in Miami, USA, after the collapse of a residential building.
The delegation is headed by the Commander of the National Rescue Unit in the Home Front Command, Col. (res.) Golan Vach, and will include a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guy Giladi, the former Deputy Consul General in Miami. In addition, the delegation consists of approximately 10 reserve officers from the Home Front Command, all top experts in engineering and social care efforts.
The delegation's mission is to assist in the life-saving efforts by mapping out the destruction site, assisting the Jewish community in identifying victims and survivors, and supporting the local rescue forces generally. Preparations for the delegation were led by the Head of the Home Front Command, Brig. Gen. Itzik Bar.
The delegation will be received by the staff of the Israeli Consulate General in Miami and the Consul General, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, who have maintained a regular presence at the site since the tragic collapse and have provided assistance with clothing, medicine, food, emergency lighting and more. The consulate will connect the staff with the Miami District Emergency Services and the State of Florida.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid said: "The State of Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America, and America has no greater friend than Israel. At difficult times such as these, we stand with our American friends and with the Jewish community in Florida."
"The rapid and effective mobilization of the Defense Establishment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an important statement about Israel’s relations and friendship with the United States."