Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was set to leave Israel for Washington Tuesday night for a visit expected to tighten coordination between Israel and the U.S. amid preparations for an Israeli retaliation for the Iranian ballistic missile attack. However, as of late Tuesday night the flight was not yet approved, the trip is in danger of being canceled and U.S. officials are reportedly shocked over the issue.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set two conditions before approving Gallant's flight: a conversation to be held between the prime minister and U.S. President Joe Biden, after weeks of no communication between the two leaders, and a Security Cabinet approval of Israel's next steps.
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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
(Photo: Ariel Chermony, Defense Ministry)
The government had not approved Gallant’s trip as of very late Tuesday night, leading to the announcement that it had being postponed.
The Pentagon announced that Gallant would not be arriving in the U.S. as scheduled. "We were just informed that Minister Gallant will be postponing his trip to Washington," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told a news briefing, referring questions about why Gallant canceled to Israel's government.
Biden has avoided speaking with Netanyahu for several weeks, though he has had conversations with President Isaac Herzog, including this week for the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack.
Netanyahu reportedly fears giving Gallant more clout with Biden and wants to show his Likud voter base that he’s preventing Gallant from coordinating with the Americans. U.S. officials are reportedly stunned – as this has gone from being a conflict between Netanyahu and Gallant to one also between Netanyahu and the Biden administration.
The Americans were the ones who invited the defense minister, who is seen as their "point of contact for the war," and Gallant had coordinated his trip with the Prime Minister's Office beforehand. Up until hours before the scheduled departure, those close to Gallant were confident the trip would proceed as planned.
"Ultimately, decisions about cabinet members' trips to Washington are up to the Israeli government,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on the issue in a briefing. Gallant’s main goal in his trip was to project a show of power from Washington in a play to deter possible Iranian attacks against Jerusalem following a possible retaliation.
Iranian ballistic missile attack against Israel
NBC reported on Tuesday, citing two U.S. officials, that Israel hadn’t provided the U.S. with details regarding its response to the Iranian missile attack even after senior U.S. military officials publicly discussed the possibility of supporting an Israeli response.
According to the officials, Gallant and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed potential response options, but Israel’s final decision wasn’t shared. American officials believe that Israel has yet to make a definitive decision on how to act.
The potential targets for the attack, according to the sources, include military and intelligence complexes, air defense systems and energy infrastructure. "Gallant and Austin did not discuss nuclear facilities as possible targets," NBC reported.
Gallant and Israeli defense officials have been advocating for a strike on Iran and have presented plans to lawmakers, although no decision appears to have been made yet. Gallant was expected to meet with Austin to discuss the matter.
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U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO, AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In addition to Austin, Gallant was also scheduled to meet with President Biden’s advisors amid a severe crisis of trust between Netanyahu and Biden.
Gallant was set to arrive in Washington with a clear message for the U.S. administration: Israel needs to strike Iran, but it should be done in the most effective way with maximum coordination with the U.S.
Gallant believes the U.S. must project its strength in the region, from sending aircraft carriers to the region to displaying the joint cooperation between Israel and the U.S. While Israel doesn’t expect the U.S. to join in any strike, it looks for American support if and when Iran responds with another missile attack, as part of the international coalition formed during the war.
"We have the ability to cause significant damage to Iran, but the working assumption is that Iran will retaliate, which is why coordination with the U.S. is crucial. Iran is left without Hamas or Hezbollah as effective forces, but that doesn’t mean Israel shouldn’t prepare for a direct Iranian attack." American officials visiting Israel said on Tuesday. "It’s important Tehran understands the U.S. is with us in such a case."
Gallant also planned to ask Austin during his visit for aid in the form of various types of weaponry, particularly additional missile defense batteries against Iranian missiles and systems that can support Israel’s Arrow batteries both at sea and on land. Israel also intends to ask for heavy munitions, whose shipment has been delayed for months due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
At present, Israel doesn’t face a shortage of munitions, but defense officials wish to prepare for future gaps that could arise in the event of a broader, all-out war.
Bibi-Biden relationship revealed in Bob Woodward's new book
Also on Tuesday, excerpts of veteran journalist Bob Woodward's new books were released that shed light on Biden's relationships with other world leaders, including Netanyahu.
“That son of a bitch, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy. He’s a bad f***ing guy!” Biden said privately about the Netanyahu to one of his associates in the spring of 2024 against the backdrop of the Gaza war, Woodward writes.
Following Israel’s entry into Rafah, Biden reportedly called Netanyahu a “f***ing liar.”
Adter the Israeli airstrike on Beirut in July that killed Fuad Shukr, Biden said, according to the book, “Bibi, what the hell?” and adding “You know, the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state, a rogue actor.”
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