Israeli Leaders Praise President George H.W. Bush, Send Condolences to the Family

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised US President George H.W. Bush, saying he had steered the world to a peaceful transition at the end of the cold war.

"We in Israel will always remember his commitment to Israel's security, his decisive victory over Saddam Hussein, his important contribution to the liberation of Soviet Jewry, his support for the rescue of Ethiopian Jewry, as well as his efforts to advance peace in the Middle East in the Madrid peace conference.

Netanyahu sent Israel's condolences to President George Bush, his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, and their families.
 
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also praised the president's many accomplishments, calling him "a true friend of Israel."

US Vice President Mike Pence Met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at his Jerusalem residence in January 2018, Photo, CBN News archive

"We have lost an American hero, George H.W. Bush," he said, "who fought in the killing fields of the Second World War, who knew to distinguish between good and evil and how to build strong regional coalitions against cruel tyrants. He led his country with skill and wisdom at the end of the Cold War and under his leadership our strategic relationship evolved into the strongest of alliances. The Jewish people will always remember his help in bringing the Jews of Ethiopia to Israel and his determination to ensure the Arab world recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security."
 
"Personally – and on behalf of the people of Israel – my deepest condolences to President George W Bush, a true friend of Israel, to Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Doro and their families. May his memory be for a blessing," the statement concluded.