Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant canceled a visit with Pentagon officials scheduled for Wednesday following the rapid escalation of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East.
Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters at a briefing Tuesday that the Pentagon had been informed that Gallant had postponed his visit to Washington, D.C.
“Minister Gallant was traveling to the United States and the Secretary welcomed him to the Pentagon and will host him here for bilateral talks,” Singh said. ”
A reporter asked Mr. Shin about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked Mr. Gallant not to go to Washington. Mr. Shin said he was aware of this, but that he preferred not to get involved in Israeli politics. He said it was good.
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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reviews the readiness of troops on the northern border with Lebanon during the fight against Hezbollah. (Ariel Hermoni, Israeli Defense Minister Communications Office)
She noted that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has a “great relationship” with Mr. Gallant, and the two have met nearly 80 times.
“We're constantly communicating, whether it's an in-person meeting here or a meeting or phone call that needs to be done remotely,” Singh explained. “That relationship remains in place today, at all times and anywhere in the world.”
Asked if there was any tension between Austin and Gallant, Singh demurred.
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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) walks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in June. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I don't think there's any tension,” she said. “You can have direct conversations with your friends. You may not necessarily agree on everything, but that doesn't mean there's tension.”
In an exchange with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday, Gallant said that the Israeli military is doing everything possible to respond to an Iranian attack on Israel, and even a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. He promised he was considering his options.
The interview took place days after Israel invaded Lebanon as part of its operation to wipe out Hezbollah, carrying out several successful attacks against the terrorist group. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed over the weekend that it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Iran fired 181 retaliatory missiles in response.
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Smoke and flames rise in Beirut's southern suburbs after an Israeli airstrike on Sunday. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Darsh)
“Everything is on the table at the moment,” the Israeli official said. “Israel will respond to this unprecedented Iranian attack in a manner of our choosing, at a time and place of our choosing.”
President Biden told reporters last week that he did not support an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, but said Israel had the right to take “appropriate” action against Iran. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to send $157 million in “additional aid” to Lebanon, which is “facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.”
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In the White House's response to the IDF's recent attacks, Gallant emphasized that the United States hopes to continue working with the Israeli military.
“Given the threat posed by Iran and its proxies, it is important to discuss strategic and defense cooperation between the two countries,” Gallant said. “Power comes out when everyone is aligned. I want to confirm that.”
Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis, Trey Yingst, Greg Norman, Stephen Sorace and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
