Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his decision to publicly address delays in the supply of weapons from the United States, stating that months of private discussions had not produced any results. During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu explained, “After months of no change in this situation, I decided to give it a public expression. I did this based on years of experience, and knowing that this step is essential to extracting the cork.”
Netanyahu’s comments came after he claimed in a video posted on X that the Biden administration was “withholding weapons,” despite assurances from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue. In response, US envoy Amos Hochstein criticized Netanyahu’s statements as “unproductive” and “completely untrue.”
The dispute occurs against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict and ongoing concerns about potential further conflict with Hezbollah. While the US remains Israel’s most important ally and biggest supplier of arms, it has expressed increasing concern over the rising civilian casualties in Gaza.
Netanyahu detailed that “about four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the US to Israel. For weeks we asked our American friends to speed up the shipments… We got all sorts of explanations, but one thing we didn’t get: the basic situation didn’t change.” He expressed hope that the situation would be resolved soon.
Amid the dispute, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated the importance of US-Israel relations ahead of his visit to meet with US officials, including Lloyd Austin and Blinken. Gallant emphasized the crucial nature of these ties, especially in the current context of the Israel-Hamas war and the efforts to secure the return of hostages and achieve regional stability.
Gallant also mentioned the transition to a “Phase C” in Gaza, indicating a potential new stage in the conflict or post-conflict preparations, which he plans to discuss with US officials.
