Galant meeting in New York: The US administration and Israel's defense establishment will hold a close dialogue on the security implications of the possible normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. This was agreed in meetings held last night in New York by Defense Minister Yoav Galant with senior Biden administration officials, Middle East envoy Brett McGurk and Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf.
Defense Minister warns of warming on the northern border // Photo: Liri Agami
The senior American officials presented the status of the talks regarding a possible agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and the positions Washington would take in the negotiations. Galant posed a series of questions related to the security aspects relevant to Israel of an agreement with Saudi Arabia, if and when it is signed between it and the Americans. The main point raised by him, which worries the defense establishment, is the possibility that Saudi Arabia will receive an American permit to enrich nuclear fuel for civilian purposes.
They will take a serious look and come back with answers
The American officials responded that they would seriously examine the objections of the defense establishment and would come back with answers. It was also agreed that there would be direct dialogue between the Americans and Galant, the chief of staff and head of the Mossad, regarding aspects of the agreement with Saudi Arabia. It should be noted that the preliminary discussions of the defense establishment were held in Netanyahu's presence.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant meets with senior Biden administration officials in New York,
So far, the issue of a possible agreement with Saudi Arabia has been discussed mainly by the National Security Council and the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, headed by Minister Ron Dermer, who are subordinate to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Now, under Galant's direction, the defense establishments, which include the IDF, Mossad and the Ministry of Defense, are taking part in the discussions and presenting their inputs regarding the possible historical development. This means that Gallant and the security system are 'entering the event', and the talks will not take place only with the prime minister's people.
A dialogue with the Americans began
In the past, there were groundbreaking agreements from which the defense establishment was excluded, such as the Abraham Accords, which were signed three years ago and are considered a success. On the other hand, there are also the Oslo Accords, which are currently marking 30 years since their establishment. They were done without the knowledge of the security leadership. On the other hand, an agreement made based on the defense establishment and controversial is the gas agreement between Israel and Lebanon, signed less than a year ago and which many believe increased Hezbollah's boldness.
Gallant meets with Brett McGurk, senior Biden administration official in New York, last night, photo: Ariel Hermony, Ministry of Defense
It seems that the Americans began a dialogue with the defense establishment, thinking that in order to obtain the Israeli public's agreement to the concessions that would entail an agreement with Saudi Arabia, support from the Israeli defense establishment was required. This is because the latter enjoys great confidence in public opinion. In this context, Galant emphasized that in any scenario, Israel's qualitative advantage in the Middle East must be preserved.
He also reviewed Iran's actions to destabilize the region in the Middle East and stressed that Israel would know how to defend itself by itself against any threat or attempt to harm its citizens. The sides also discussed the situation in Judea and Samaria and the escalation of terrorist attacks.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us