Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, currently on a visit to Israel, has issued a joint statement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praising Israel-U.S. relations as “rock solid.”

“In this violent and unstable region where states are imploding and fanaticism is exploding one thing remains rock solid — our friendship, our alliance, our partnership,” Netanyahu said.

“It makes both our countries stronger, it makes both our countries safer and it’s the anchor for our shared hopes for peace and stability in this region,” he added.

Boehner replied, saying, “Our two countries cooperate on many different levels, and while we may have political disagreements from time to time, the bonds between our two nations are strong, and they’re going to continue to be strong.”

Before meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Boehner toured army bases in southern Israel. Israeli commanders in the field took the opportunity to take photographs with Boehner before he boarded a helicopter to Jerusalem to meet the prime minister and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon.