White House Cancels Meeting With Israel After Netanyahu's Arms Criticism

The White House has cancelled a strategic meeting with Israeli officials following a video released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the United States of withholding military aid. The meeting was intended to be part of a broader dialogue on Iran, involving officials from the Pentagon, the US State Department, and intelligence agencies alongside their Israeli counterparts. Despite the cancellation, a planned meeting between Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and US counterpart Jake Sullivan, as well as a visit by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, will proceed as scheduled.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre countered Netanyahu's claims, stating that only one weapons shipment had been paused, while billions of dollars worth of weapons had been delivered to Israel. The decision to cancel the meeting was reportedly intended to signal that such accusations against the Biden administration were unacceptable. The cancellation marks the second time a strategic dialogue on Iran has been called off at the last minute.