JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Israel on Wednesday, vowing that security alliance with Israel "is ironclad."
Heading a congressional delegation, Pelosi was welcomed in the morning in a ceremony and visited the Israeli parliament.
She hailed the alliance between the two countries, saying she was "very proud that America is Israel's oldest ally."
Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, Pelosi said in joint statements with Israeli Parliament Speaker Mickey Levy that "the nuclear threat by Iran is a global one."
She noted that "Israel's proximity to Iran is a concern to all of us and a responsibility for all of us."
She also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reiterating the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution that will enhance "stability and security for Israel, Palestinians and their neighbors."
Her visit comes amid rising clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and in the flashpoint Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem.
Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are claimed by the Palestinians, in the 1967 Middle East war, and has controlled them ever since. The Palestinians have been seeking to establish an independent state on these territories together with the enclave Gaza Strip.
Pelosi is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog before traveling to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
