Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant attends a news conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, Israel, March 9, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

i24 News – Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant accepted the invitation of the American Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin, and will go for an official visit to Washington during the month of October.

At their meeting, the two will discuss ways to strengthen the special security ties between Israel and the US, and discuss the various security challenges and political opportunities in the Middle East.

This will be Gallant’s first official trip to Washington as the Israeli defense minister.

Political commentators in Israel have speculated that the announcement represents an end to an apparent ban by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on minister visits to Washington pending his invitation to the White House by US President Joe Biden.

Last month Netanyahu and Biden met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. While this fell short of the White House meeting sought by Netanyahu, pundits have said, Biden stated at that meeting that he would shortly invite Netanyahu to the White House.