The Defense Department confirmed on Tuesday that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s planned visit to the US has been postponed. Spokesperson Sabrina Singh announced that Gallant had scheduled the visit for Wednesday but it was abruptly called off without a rescheduled date.
Speculation arose that the visit was postponed because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waiting for a direct call from President Joe Biden before allowing Gallant to travel. This delay comes as Israel plans a response to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.
President Biden has already spoken with Israeli President Isaac Herzog by telephone, but has not yet directly called Netanyahu. The White House has assured that a call with the prime minister will occur in the future.
Although the reasons for the postponement were not disclosed, it is evident that political tensions and international relations play a significant role in the rescheduling of Gallant’s visit to the US.