Defense Minister Gallant Heads To US For ‘Critical’ Meeting

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Defense Minister Yoav Gallant headed to Washington Sunday for an official visit to discuss the war. Gallant will meet with his counterpart Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as CIA Director William Burns, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and others.

The minister described the trip as the most critical and challenging he had undertaken. “The meetings with the senior government officials are critical for the future of the war,” he said before boarding his flight.

“During these meetings I plan to discuss developments [on the southern and northern fronts], in Gaza and Lebanon,” he said. “We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in additional areas.”

Gallant’s office said in an official readout that the minister would “discuss the operations necessary to achieve the goals of the war against the Hamas terrorist organization, efforts to ensure the return of the hostages held by Hamas, and measures required to achieve regional stability.”

“He will also raise the unique areas of cooperation between the US and Israeli defense establishments, with an emphasis on force build-up efforts and power projection, while maintaining Israel’s qualitative edge in the region,” the statement said.

Defense officials added that Gallant would try to defuse tensions between the US administration and Israel in the wake of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s public accusation last week that the US is withholding weapons from Israel (A reference to a shipment of heavy-duty bombs which has been frozen due to US concerns they will be used indiscriminately against civilians.)

The White House spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said that Netanyahu’s video was “perplexing to say the least, certainly disappointing to see.”

“Netanyahu’s comments on U.S. supplying weapons were also incorrect, deeply disappointing,” added Kirby, noting the amount of help Washington has supplied to Israel over the time of its war against Hamas.

Gallant will discuss the diplomatic efforts by the US to prevent the outbreak of war in the north. Israel and Hezbollah have raised the rhetoric in recent days, and the US, whose representative Amos Hochstein is in the Middle East, seeks to find a way to solve the impasse which has left tens of thousands of Israelis away from their homes for months.

The Americans have now deployed another aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Eisenhower in the Mediterranean Sea. The carrier is currently off the coast of Port Said in Egypt and will soon be replaced by the U.S.S. Roosevelt, making its way back from the Far East.
The deployment in the Med. is part of the American effort to deter Nasrallah from attacking Israel in a full-blown conflict, that could deteriorate to a regional war.

Despite the outrage over Netanyahu’s recent remarks, senior administration officials said that the U.S. would support Israel if the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon would escalate. They reportedly told visiting Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who was in Washington, that there would be no American boots on the ground but that the aid Israel would require to defend against Iran’s largest proxy, would be forthcoming.