For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
TEL AVIV, Israel—Yesterday, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas concluded a three-day trip to Israel where he met with his counterparts in the Israeli government to discuss a range of homeland security-related issues including cybersecurity, law enforcement cooperation, immigration, and aviation security.
Earlier this week, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas met separately with Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely, Interior Minister and Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom, and Foreign Affairs and Defense Chairman in the Knesset Tzachi Hanegbi. During his meetings, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas underscored the importance of working with Israel to address shared security challenges and reiterated the Department’s commitment to improving aviation security and to sharing information with international law enforcement and our counterterrorism allies to ensure collective global security.
Deputy Secretary Mayorkas also met with Head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau Dr. Eviatar Matania, senior cyber officials in the Israel Defense Forces, and a range of cybersecurity private industry representatives to discuss areas of cooperation and opportunities for joint investment in cybersecurity. During his meeting with Dr. Matania, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas and Dr. Matania signed a joint statement reaffirming the United States and Israel’s commitment to promote cooperation and information sharing on cybersecurity and cyber research and development.
While in Israel, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas also visited the Ben Gurion International Airport to view passenger and cargo security operations and to review the areas of close cooperation between DHS and the Israeli government on aviation and airport security.
Today, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas will travel to Sweden to meet with Swedish counterparts to discuss expanding Preclearance operations to Stockholm Arlanda Airport as well as the importance of working together to strengthen our security cooperation while facilitating lawful trade and travel.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.
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