Israel and U.S. make joint statement on their vision for the Middle East

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Israel and the United States appear in lockstep with their vision for the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a joint statement on their hopes for the region Sunday.

They spoke after a closed door meeting in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said they held a "very productive discussion" on a number of issues, and both hammered home the threat they believe Iran poses to the region.

"Israel and America stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat of Iran. We agree that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons. And we also agree that Iran's aggression in the region has to be rolled back," Netanyahu expressed.

Netanyahu also thanked Rubio their support of Israel's policy in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire is in effect between Israel and Hamas militants after 15 months of war.

"We will bring all our hostages home and we will ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel. The unequivocal support of the United States on Gaza will help us achieve these objectives faster and set us on a path to a different future," Netanyahu spoke.

In the joint statement, Rubio praised President Donald Trump's strategy for Gaza, which includes U.S. ownership of the land and the relocation of the Palestinian people, calling the plan, which some detractors have characterized as ethnic cleansing, "bold."

"The President's also been very bold about his view of what the future of Gaza should be. Not the same tired ideas of the past but something that's bold and something that frankly took courage and vision in order to outline and it may have shocked and surprised many, but what cannot continue is the same cycle where we repeat over and over again and wind up in the exact same place."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The meeting comes during Rubio's first visit to the region as the U.S. Secretary of State. During the trip, Rubio also has plans to meet with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.