IRIA News

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Tel Aviv on March 9, 2023, as a part of his Middle East trip where he met with the Israeli leaders to discuss the growing tensions on the West Bank and anti-Netanyahu protests throughout the country.

Austin visited Israel on a regional tour of the Middle East where he is visiting Jordan, Egypt, and Israel as per his schedule. Austin also made a surprise visit to Baghdad on his way to Israel where he met with Iraq’s Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani to discuss the future of the U.S. troops in Iraq. The U.S. has stationed at least 2500 troops in Iraq that are serving in the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS).

Hours before Austin arrived in Tel Aviv, Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinian men in the West Bank region inciting violent reaction from the Palestinian factions throughout the region. Since Israel’s newly elected far-right government has taken the office, acts of violence against Palestinians and other minorities have increased immensely. Biden Administration is not satisfied with the way that the current Israeli administration is dealing with the situation of increasing violence in Israel.

Productive meeting with @IsraeliPM in Tel Aviv. The U.S. is committed to Israel’s security. We discussed the bilateral partnership, security assistance, and enhancing regional security by deepening Israel’s partnerships.https://t.co/1ZgMkxN8YK pic.twitter.com/tSx2D3yP5D

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) March 9, 2023

Austin’s dissatisfaction over Israel’s handling of the situation was evident during his meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. He commented on Israel’s illegal settlements in the Palestinian regions by saying that “the United States firmly opposed any acts that could trigger more insecurity, including settlement expansion and inflammatory rhetoric.” He further added that “We’re especially disturbed by violence by settlers against Palestinians.”

The U.S. secretary and Israeli defense minister also reviewed important developments in the U.S.-Israeli bilateral defense partnership, including the recently concluded JUNIPER OAK exercise, which deployed over 7,000 U.S. and Israeli forces.

According to the Pentagon statement, “Secretary Austin lauded Israel’s integration into the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility and expressed the Department’s intent to strengthen the regional security architecture and to further multilateral cooperation with regional partners”.

On matters related to Iran, U.S. Secretary Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Gallant agreed to continue working together to address the wide range of threats posed by Tehran. U.S. Secretary Austin underscored the U.S. commitment to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.

Austin also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting that lasted more than an hour. During his meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Austin demanded: “immediate steps to de-escalate violence and work towards a just and lasting peace”. The two leaders also discussed matters related to Iran and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

The rift between the U.S. and Israel’s newly elected far-right government has become wider in recent times on matters related to Iran’s rapidly accelerating nuclear capabilities and Israel’s reluctance to openly support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion.

Biden administration is on course to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran after it was unilaterally canceled by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018, something that the current Israeli government does not approve. The U.S. on the other hand is not satisfied with Israel’s support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invasion. Although Israel has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and provided Kyiv with humanitarian relief, it has stopped short of providing weapons and defense technologies to Ukraine, particularly the missile interceptors that Ukraine asked for.

In September 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy complained that “Israel gave us nothing. Nothing, zero.” Zelenkyy’s comments about Israel’s lack of support have become harsher in recent times as he pointed out Israel’s lack of material support for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also addressed the Israeli parliament through a video link where he rebuked Israel for not supporting Ukrainian war efforts and for not taking a clear stance against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. “One can often ask why we cannot receive weapons from you, why Israel did not impose serious sanctions on Russia?” he said during his speech.