Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israeli forces could send Lebanon “back to the Stone Age” if war between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.
“We don’t want war, but we are prepared for every scenario,” he said.
Gallant is wrapping up a four-day visit to the United States, where he said he made progress in gaining support from the Biden administration for an Israeli “force buildup” and arms supplies.
The Israeli defense minister’s visit to the US comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) considers a request to issue an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, including starvation, in Gaza.
During his visit to the United States, Gallant met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Gallant’s message was consistent: The United States and Israel are strong allies, and must stand together in confronting the perceived threat from Iran and its supporters in the region.
But the Israeli and US governments do not agree on everything at this time.
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Many observers believe one of Gallant’s most important agenda items was the frozen shipment of 2,000-pound (907kg) and 500-pound (227kg) heavy-duty bombs. The Biden administration halted the shipments in May, apparently in protest of the bombs’ potential use in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 37,500 people, with continued US support.
The frozen shipments are a response to criticism of the US administration that President Joe Biden continues to support what critics call a “genocide” in Gaza.
But the US has refused to extend the pause to other military shipments. The administration even responded to comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that more arms shipments had been withheld, stressing that only one shipment had been stopped.
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Whether Gallant managed to get the weapons shipment to Israel remains unclear. Officials Gallant met with included pro-Israel messages in their statements afterward.
There was talk of the strength of the relationship between Israel and the US, the importance of Israel’s security, and the need to defeat Hamas in Palestine. But there was no overt attempt to push back against the anti-Netanyahu messages that have been clearly communicated in recent months – including the persistent leaks that Biden is unhappy with Netanyahu.
The US president was caught telling Netanyahu they would have a “come to Jesus” meeting, an expression used to refer to a moment of realisation before changing the Israeli prime minister’s mind. (Al Jazeera/Z-3)
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