Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon reiterated on Sunday that Israel and the United States share an important relationship which Israel appreciates.

Ya’alon, who is visiting the U.S., met with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"We greatly appreciate your personal support for Israel; in your statements and in your attitude you give us moral and ethical support which are very important,” he told de Blasio.

"The performance of Iron Dome, which was developed with the important assistance of the United States, was simply amazing during Operation Protective Edge. It was very impressive,” continued Ya’alon.

"We plan to improve the system and to reinforce it, so it can cover more territory in Israel, and also to develop additional layers of active defense, with the support of the United States," he added.

Ya'alon said that "Israel has a deep relationship with the United States, we really appreciate this connection. Differences of opinion must not overshadow the deeper relationship between the United States and Israel. We greatly appreciate the deep connection between the two defense establishments. We have shared values ​​and common interests.”

The Defense Minister’s visit to the U.S. comes amid tensions over remarks by Secretary of State John Kerry, who last week blamed Israel for the rise in global jihadism, insisting that Israel "humiliated" the Palestinian Arabs and that it has led to a "loss of dignity," leading to a recruitment draw toward ISIS. 

In response, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett fired back at Kerry, saying, "Even when a British Muslim beheads a British Christian, there will always be those who blame the Jews.”

"We don't justify terror; we fight terror," he added. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict statement encourages ISIS, and is a boost to terrorism worldwide."

Bennett’s remarks, however, were met with criticism within Israel. Among those who criticized Bennett was Ya’alon, who said Saturday night that Bennett's criticism lacks respect for the financial and diplomatic support the U.S. has provided for Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas terrorism.

Another critic of Bennett was Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, who said Bennett’s remarks were harmful and did little more than gaining him a few more votes.