Pentagon says Gallant's visit to Washington postponed
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Israeli media quote sources familiar with the situation as saying that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed his Security Minister to postpone the trip until he speaks with US President Joe Biden.
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Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant, left, speaks during his meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, June 25, 2024 (AP)
"Israel" has postponed Security Minister Yoav Gallant’s scheduled trip to the US, where he was set to meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, a spokesperson for the US Defense Department confirmed on Tuesday.
"We were just informed that Minister Gallant will be postponing his trip to Washington, DC. Secretary Austin looks forward to seeing him soon," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists, without providing a reason for the decision.
The delay came mere hours before Gallant was supposed to board the plane to the US and kick off his visit.
Israeli media quoted sources familiar with the situation as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed Gallant to postpone the trip until he speaks with US President Joe Biden, and also until the Israeli cabinet approves a response to Iran's Operation True Promise II retaliatory attack last week.
This comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv, as Biden and Netanyahu have not spoken in nearly 50 days in light of growing frustration in the US over the Israeli Prime Minister's handling of the ongoing aggression on Lebanon and Gaza, with concerns about the Israeli government's lack of a clear strategy to put an end to it.
US losing trust in Netanyahu
US officials have been expressing growing distrust in the Israeli occupation over its military and diplomatic actions in light of its aggression on Lebanon and Gaza.
According to four US officials speaking to Axios, the trust deficit has been magnified by the planned attack on Iran which comes in the wake of its own Operation True Promise II, itself a retaliatory strike against the Israeli occupation, which poses significant risks for US forces and interests in the region.
While the US is not opposed to the Israeli occupation attacking Iran, it is pressing for a measured approach. One US official commented, "Our trust of the Israelis is very low right now, and for good reason," as reported by Axios.
In a call last Friday, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan urged Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to provide "clarity and transparency" on the plans to attack Iran. This request stems from concerns about potential fallout, including Iranian retaliation, which could directly impact US personnel stationed in the region.
According to Axios's Barak Ravid, US officials have stressed that while they would likely support an attack on Iran, the amount of trust it has in its decision-making process has decreased exponentially.
The Biden administration has reportedly been caught off guard by several recent Israeli actions. On multiple occasions, Israeli military or intelligence operations were launched without prior consultation or notification. In some cases, US officials were only informed after Israeli jets were already en route for airstrikes.
