According to the report, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi made the statement during a Ashkenazi speech on September 11th. In it he emphasized: “We must preserve ties with the United States. I believe this is a security necessity.” According to the newspaper the speech was at the Calcalist Conference, which appears to be an annual event in Tel Aviv sponsored by the Calcalist newspaper, an Israeli Hebrew-only daily financial newspaper. It is is part of the group that publishes Yedioth Ahronoth, the largest circulation newspaper in Israel.