Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday met with US Senator Ted Cruz as part of his diplomatic visit to Washington.
Also attending the meeting was the Director-General of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (res.) Amir Erez.
During their meeting, Katz thanked Cruz for his steadfast support of Israel and for being one of its greatest allies.
Regarding the recent clashes in Syria, Katz explained, "We trust only in God and the IDF to defend the State of Israel. I did not trust [former Syrian President Hafez al-]Assad the father, nor [former Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad the son, and certainly I do not trust a leader like [Syrian President Abu Mohammad] al-Julani, who relies on jihadist groups that he uses against minorities in Syria, as he is doing right now against the Druze, and tomorrow he could also use them against Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights. From the moment we understood that the Syrian regime was behind the attacks and complicit in the massacre of the Druze, we acted against it with full force."
"The presence of the IDF on the peak of Mount Hermon and in the security zone is the guarantee of our security.
"We have established a clear policy - that southern Syria will be demilitarized and that we will not allow harm to the Druze. We stand and will stand behind the policy we set.
From the moment we understood that the Syrian regime was behind the attacks and complicit in the massacre of the Druze, we acted with full force against regime targets in Sweida and Damascus until the regime forces withdrew as per our demand."