'Attack on America Is Attack on Us', Israel Says on 9/11 Anniversary

On the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid extended a message of support to the US, saying that an attack on America is "an attack on us."

"The horrific, murderous terror attacks that took place on September 11, 2001, changed the world," Lapid tweeted. "As we mark 20 years since that terrible day, I want to send a message to the people of the United States and those who seek to harm them. An attack on America, is an attack on us. America is our greatest friend and ally. An attack on our friends is an attack on us."

The US has been a strong ally of Israel for years. The Jewish state has enjoyed close military and economic ties with the US, playing a critical role in promoting positive relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, as well as several others in the Abraham Accords, and often siding with Israel on the Iranian nuclear program and allegations of its development of nuclear weapons.

The United States' overall foreign policy in the Middle East is closely linked to the Jewish state, and the United States Congress has insisted on maintaining a close and supportive relationship with Israel.

Former US president Donald Trump acted as a friend to the Middle Eastern nation during his term in the White House. Under Trump, the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, opening a consulate there on the 70th anniversary of Israel's independence. The Trump administration also became the first nation to recognize Tel Aviv's authority over the occupied Golan Heights.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after Trump's address at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem May 23, 2017.

Despite the controversy these decisions evoked, the Biden administration has continued with the current bilateral course of relations. During a May escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, however, some critics suggested the White House's response to the flare-up conflict was muted.

Western Allies Pay Tribute on 9/11

Lapid's remarks were added to a chorus of sympathy from world leaders honoring the two-decade anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the US and declaring that the assailants had failed to destroy Western principles.

“We can now say with the perspective of 20 years that [the jihadists] failed to shake our belief in freedom and democracy,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweeted video. “They failed to drive our nations apart, or cause us to abandon our values, or to live in permanent fear.”

According to reports, in a separate message to the US President Joe Biden, the head of the UK, Queen Elizabeth II, said that her "thoughts and prayers – and those of my family and the entire nation — remain with the victims, survivors and families affected."

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a statement that September 11 marks the day when Western nations remember "those who risked everything to help them." She also pledged support to the US in "defending freedom & compassion over hate."

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted a bilingual post, stating that France "will never forget."

Earlier in the day, New York City's downtown saw a memorial service in commemoration of the attacks which took place 20 years ago. Throughout the service, six moments of silence were held in memory of the victims of attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, on the same day.