The meeting signals an end to an apparent ban by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on minister visits to Washington until he’s invited to the White House.
The Israeli premier met two weeks ago with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and not at the White House as Netanyahu had sought. But Biden opened their meeting by indicating he would invite Netanyahu to the White House in the near future.
Gallant has met with Austin twice already since entering the role in late December — in Israel and in Brussels. The pair have also held numerous phone calls over the past 10 months.
The Defense Ministry said Sunday that Gallant received an invitation from Austin to Washington. In the statement, the ministry said the official visit to the US was scheduled to take place later this month. READ MORE
