ARAB AND WORLD
Thu 20 Jun 2024 3:17 pm - Jerusalem Time
A senior American-Israeli meeting today at the White House regarding the Gaza war
ABC News quoted senior officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden as saying that Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will meet Thursday in Washington with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House.
The move comes amid new tensions between the Biden administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a video in which he complains that the United States is blocking arms shipments amid Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza — a claim the United States denies.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will also meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in the coming days.
But another high-level meeting focused on Israel's security, including the threat posed by Iran, was canceled by the United States, according to administration officials (due to a video released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he complained about the United States and US President Biden, accusing the Americans... By not handing over the weapons and ammunition necessary to Israel to achieve its goals in Rafah.
According to what the network reported, the United States is looking forward to rescheduling this meeting, which the administration considers extremely important, especially since it deals with Iran and its efforts to spread unrest in the region, either directly or through its agents.
While Biden administration officials say this high-level meeting has not been completely cancelled, other sources inside the White House say there is frustration over Netanyahu's video and that it actually influenced the decision not to hold the meeting, according to the network.
Administration officials said what Netanyahu said in his video "beyond acceptable limits," as no other country supports Israel more than the United States, and the United States has held back only one shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs over concerns that the weapons are imprecise. It could cause widespread civilian deaths, and all kinds of weapons and other munitions continue to flow into Israel.
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A senior American-Israeli meeting today at the White House regarding the Gaza war