From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Gallant headed to US for meeting with Pentagon chief this week
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will travel to the United States this week and will meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday, the Pentagon announces.
It will be third visit by Gallant to the US since the start of the war a year ago, after trips in March and June.
He is expected to meet with other senior Biden administration officials as well, though no other meetings have been announced. There is no comment from the Israeli side.
Gallant, widely considered a voice of relative moderation, is seen as the Biden administration’s preferred contact in the Israeli government, at a time of increasing distrust between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have not spoken in nearly 50 days, despite major crises over that period.
Gallant and Austin have spoken over 80 times since the war in Gaza began.
The Times of Israel Community.