Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday responded to reports that the US had halted a weapons' shipment to Israel as a result of tensions between the countries, saying "this is a very concerning trend and we cannot let it continue."Lapid stated that "relations with the US are a strategic asset which we cannot endanger."The Finance Minister said that he had spoken with US Secretary of State John Kerry and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week to express his thanks for the aid transferred to Israel from the US for the Iron Dome rocket defense system.In an apparent shot at Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his handling of the US relationship, Lapid said, "Sometimes, you just have to know how to say thank you and to make sure that our ties with America will remain the most courageous and important friendship for Israel."