Chairman of Israeli Blue and White party, Knesset Member Benny Gantz, arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a visit, where he met with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Israeli media reported.
They discussed the so-called “vital security interests of the State of Israel, the broadening of Israel’s integration into the region, and confronting threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” Gantz’s office confirmed on Thursday morning.
Gantz’s visit to Washington is taking place in an exceptionally low profile, and his office did not inform in advance about his trip to Washington or his planned meetings, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The Israeli opposition leader’s meetings at the White House come against the backdrop of efforts by the Biden administration to promote a package deal with Saudi Arabia that will include a normalization agreement with the Zionist entity.
Gantz has announced several times that if an agreement is reached with Saudi Arabia, his party will vote in favor of it in the Knesset, but will not join the coalition.
“No political consideration will override Israel’s strategic interest,” Gantz said at a conference at Reichman University in September.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who visited Washington a few weeks ago, clarified in his conversations with senior American government officials, and publicly, that he opposes an agreement that includes American approval for uranium enrichment on Saudi soil.
Source: Israeli media
