Lloyd Austin
Meanwhile, House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) approved $735 million in precision-guided missiles to Israel.
The two leaders discussed recent developments and actions Israel has taken, in addition to plans to take amid fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In Jerusalem, the two men discussed ways to deepen the defense relationship in the face of threats in the Middle East.
After meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Lloyd Austin says he is “tremendously pleased” with discussions on security issues important to both countries.
Pentagon spokesperson Jon Kirby said the airstrikes near the Syrian-Iraqi border were “proportionate” and defensive.
The conversation between the defense officials comes as the Biden administration suspends the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.
The 67-year-old will be the first African-American to lead the Pentagon. Avril Haines, 51, is the first female director and Jewish person to lead the U.S. intelligence community.
He previously served as head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees the mission of the U.S. military in the Middle East, though Israel is part of the U.S. European Command.
Professor Eytan Gilboa, an expert on American-Israeli relations, expects that bilateral cooperation on security, intelligence, weapons, doctrine and other areas won’t be disrupted, and that Jerusalem must actively coordinate with Washington.
