Kirby says Netanyahu's comments regarding arms 'disappointing'
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Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of the "inconceivable" act of withholding weapons from the occupation in a recent video.
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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on May 28, 2024 (AP)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Washington is delaying military shipments from "Israel" is "disappointing" according to White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Kirby expressed that the White House was not aware the video was coming and called it "perplexing to say the least, certainly disappointing."
Speaking in English, Netanyahu stated in the video that it was "inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel."
Publicly, the White House expressed bafflement. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pointed out that only one weapons shipment had been paused since the war began, while billions of dollars worth of weapons had continued to flow unimpeded.
"We genuinely do not know what he is talking about," she said.
Despite Netanyahu's meltdown, Kirby explained during the briefing that the occupation would not be affected by the reprioritizing of weapons to Ukraine.
The Financial Times has reported that the US is halting the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles to other countries to prioritize orders for Ukraine in the face of Russian attacks.
Kirby also detailed how the US presently does not have any qualified Patriot or National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) systems to transfer to Ukraine and is instead working on reprioritizing missile delivery.
"We just don't have eligible systems coming off the production line," Kirby stated at a news briefing. "Right now, the focus is really going to be on the missiles themselves."
Regarding a military pact struck by Russia and North Korea, Kirby expressed the White House was "cause for concern" but not surprising. Kirby noted that the pact indicates Russia needs international help for its fight against Ukraine.
Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership provides for mutual military assistance in case of armed aggression against either of the allies, the document cited by the Korean state news agency KCNA indicated.
The third article of the indefinite treaty, which was signed on Wednesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, states that in the event of an "immediate threat" of armed aggression, the allies would immediately activate bilateral communication channels to coordinate positions and agree on "practical measures" required to deal with the threat.
Biden's team calls out Netanyahu
In private, Biden's team was angry and shocked by Netanyahu's ingratitude, according to one US official.
Hochstein met Netanyahu on Tuesday during a stop in "Israel", returning from Beirut, where he was attempting to de-escalate tensions on the Palestine-Lebanon border.
In the meeting, Hochstein informed Netanyahu that the accusations made in the video were both inaccurate and inappropriate, according to two Israeli officials briefed on the discussion, as reported by Axios.
Additionally, Biden's top advisors decided to cancel the strategic dialogue on Iran, which was set to include hours of meetings involving officials from the State Department, Pentagon, and US intelligence agencies, along with their Israeli counterparts.
An Israeli official confirmed that the White House notified "Israel" of this decision.
According to the Israeli official, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will still meet his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, who has already departed for the US. Additionally, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant is scheduled to visit early next week, Israeli officials say.
Relations between Biden and Netanyahu's teams are more strained now than at any point in the eight months since the war in Gaza began on October 7. This is the second time a meeting of the Iran strategic dialogue was canceled at the last minute.
