In his first foreign engagement since taking on the role of U.S. under secretary of defense in April, Elbridge Colby spoke by phone with his Israeli counterpart, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, director general of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, prior to hosting Baram’s team at the Pentagon, Colby announced on Friday.
“It was a pleasure to have my first foreign engagement be with our great ally Israel,” Colby posted on X. “Israel is not only a close ally, but a model one that takes its own self-defense with utmost seriousness, and is willing to invest and act accordingly.”
“I look forward to a strong and close relationship with our counterparts to ensure a secure Israel and a strong alliance between our two nations,” he wrote.
Baram was appointed the 26th director general of the Israeli defense ministry on March 24.