Defense Minister Yoav Gallant took off tonight (Sunday, the 9th) for an official visit to Washington, after being invited by US Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin.
During the visit, Defense Secretary Gallant is expected to meet at the Pentagon with his counterpart, Defense Secretary General Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and other senior officials in the White House, the State Department, Congress, and the US administration.
The focus of his trip will be on the continued actions required to achieve the war's goals, the political efforts to return the kidnapped, the steps required to strengthen regional stability, and the special cooperation between the defense establishment and the American government, with an emphasis on the processes of equipping and projecting joint power, to preserve Israel's qualitative advantage in the Middle East.
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The Minister of Defense will be accompanied on his trip by the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (res.) Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defense Shahar Katz, the Military Secretary to the Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Guy Marchisano, and the Head of the Political Security Division at the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General (res.) Dror Shalom.
The Defense Minister said before boarding the plane: "I am leaving tonight for the United States at the invitation of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The United States is our most important and central ally, and the ties between us are especially important, perhaps more than ever, these days.".
""I will meet in the United States with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and other senior officials in the American administration. In these meetings, I will discuss what is happening on the Gaza front, on the Lebanon front - they are of crucial importance at this time. We are prepared for any action that may be required - both in Gaza, Lebanon, and in other places.".
""The transition to Phase 3 in the Gaza Strip is of great importance. I will discuss this transition with senior American administration officials, how it can also enable other things, and I know that we will reach close cooperation between Israel and the United States on this issue as well.".
