Israel’s Protection Minister Heads to Washington Amid Tensions

“For lengthy weeks, we turned to our American pals with a request to hurry up the deliveries. We did that point after time,” Mr. Netanyahu mentioned, including that he had additionally tried working behind closed doorways.

“We acquired all kinds of explanations, however one factor we didn’t obtain: The essential state of affairs didn’t change,” he continued, including, “Sure gadgets arrived in a trickle, however the nice mass of munitions stayed behind.”

The remarks got here days after Mr. Netanyahu launched a combative video, in English, excoriating the Biden administration for, as Mr. Netanyahu put it, withholding weapons and ammunition when Israel was “combating for its life” in opposition to Iran and different widespread enemies.

U.S. officers mentioned on the time that they discovered the video “perplexing” and didn’t know what Mr. Netanyahu was speaking about. Whereas the Israeli prime minister complained of “bottlenecks,” the Biden administration maintained that it had held up just one cargo of 2,000-pound bombs over considerations about their use in densely populated components of Gaza.

The continuation of the spat on Sunday and Mr. Gallant’s journey to america come at a important juncture. Israel’s army has indicated that it needs to wind down the combating in Gaza and doubtlessly flip its consideration to its northern border with Lebanon, after weeks of escalating tit-for-tat strikes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia backed by Iran.

The Biden administration has been working to attempt to discover a diplomatic resolution to avert a full-blown conflagration between Israel and Hezbollah. President Biden has additionally invested time and political capital endorsing an Israeli proposal for a truce in Gaza involving an change of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas raised important reservations concerning the proposal, and talks have been at an deadlock.

Mr. Gallant was invited to Washington by his counterpart, Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, based on Mr. Gallant’s workplace. It additionally mentioned he was scheduled to satisfy with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and different senior American officers.

“The USA is our most essential and central ally,” Mr. Gallant mentioned shortly earlier than his departure. “Our ties are essential, and maybe extra essential than ever, presently,” he added.

Mr. Gallant and Mr. Netanyahu are themselves rivals who’ve overtly clashed in latest months, at the same time as they collectively oversee Israel’s army operations. Because the Israeli prime minister has lashed out on the White Home, he additionally has engaged in more and more public spats along with his army brass and his right-wing coalition companions.

Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.