Ties between the U.S. and Israeli leaders have been strained over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The Israeli defense minister delayed a much-anticipated trip to the U.S. at Mr. Netanyahu’s request.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel spoke with President Biden by phone on Wednesday for the first time since August, their offices said. Ties between the two leaders have soured as they have clashed repeatedly over Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Details of the call, which Vice President Kamala Harris also joined, were not immediately available. It came after Mr. Netanyahu’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, delayed a trip to the United States that was set to start Wednesday, saying that Mr. Netanyahu had asked him to put off the trip until the prime minister could speak to Mr. Biden.
Mr. Gallant had been expected to fly out on Tuesday night for meetings with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and other senior U.S. officials to discuss Israel’s retaliation for the recent Iranian ballistic missile attack, among other matters.
In an indication of the strained ties, Mr. Biden called Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, rather than Mr. Netanyahu, to commemorate the anniversary of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks that started the war.
Given the disconnect between the two leaders, Mr. Gallant has emerged as a preferred channel for some of the Biden administration’s concerns. During his trip to Washington, he was also set to discuss Israel’s continued ground invasion in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group.
A former general and a member of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party, Mr. Gallant has publicly criticized the prime minister for not articulating a postwar vision for Gaza. In turn, Mr. Netanyahu has weighed ejecting him, despite a political taboo in Israel against removing a defense minister in a time of war.
Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporting fellow with a focus on international news. More about Aaron Boxerman
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