When Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant meets with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday, Gallant is expected to ask for more US weaponry and equipment to support Israel’s war in Gaza, US officials said — an extremely delicate request at a moment when US weapons sales to the country are under intense scrutiny by lawmakers and critics of President Joe Biden’s ongoing support for Israel.
Gallant’s meeting with Austin will mark his first visit to the Pentagon as Israeli defense minister and follows his talks Monday with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where the weapons sales were also expected to be discussed, officials said.
The meetings come as the US and Israeli relationship hit a new low point Monday, with a separate Israeli delegation pulling out of planned meetings with US officials to discuss Israel’s military plans for southern Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the delegation after the US did not veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages from Gaza.
“We’re very disappointed that they will not be coming to Washington, DC, to allow us to have a fulsome conversation with them about viable alternatives to going in on the ground in Rafah,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.
Despite the heightened tensions, the growing weapons sales from the US remain top of mind for Israeli defense officials, who have been pushing their US counterparts for faster approval and progress on the weapons transfers, multiple officials and people familiar with the requests told CNN.
Before traveling to Washington, DC, on Sunday, Gallant made clear in a phone call with Austin last week that he would be bringing with him a wishlist of US…
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