‘Important Security Mission’ to US: Defense Minister Leave for Washington

22 October, 2020   |   3 years ago

Jerusalem, 22 October, 2020 (TPS) -- Defense Minister Benny Gantz took off on Wednesday night to Washington for “a security meeting” with US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and security meetings at the Pentagon.

Gantz stated ahead of his visit that he is “embarking on a short and important security mission in the United States, where I will meet with US Secretary of Defense Esper, and discuss very important issues for Israel’s security in the coming years.”

“We need to remember, that alongside the fight against Corona, our enemies are not resting for a moment, we saw what happened yesterday with the tunnel in the south and we know the challenges in all arenas. We will continue to take care of the State of Israel, both in Corona and in security,” he stated, relating to the terror tunnel running from the Gaza Strip into Israel that the IDF exposed this week.

Various sources indicate that this visit was organized in the last few days and was not prescheduled.

Also on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff LTG Aviv Kohavi held a video conference with Chairman of US Joint Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley about “the current security situation in the Middle East.”

No further details were provided.