The US has made an unusual request ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Israel this week.
According to information obtained exclusively by Israel Hayom, the request was that the US top diplomat receive a separate briefing with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi without Israeli cabinet ministers present. However, Israel Hayom has learned that the Prime Minister's office rebuffed that idea and Blinken will receive the security briefing would remain the same as previous visits, presumably as part of a larger meeting with the War Cabinet.
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A request from a senior foreign official for a one-on-one meeting with the IDF chief of staff in the middle of a war is rare, even when coming from the US. In response to an inquiry by ael Hayom, the Prime Minister's Office stated: "The meeting will take place as usual, as part of the meeting with the prime minister." No response was received from the State Department.
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Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days after visiting Saudi Arabia and Egypt against the backdrop of American efforts to seal another hostage deal and a ceasefire and pave the way for a normalization process that includes recognition of a Palestinian state.
After his visit to Egypt, Blinken was expected to land in Qatar, and from there he is supposed to arrive in Israel towards the end of the week.
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