Former Defense Minister MK Benny Gantz commented on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's conversation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and said, "I have spoken dozens of times with the US Defense Secretary - about the fight against Iran, about strengthening the regional alliance, about maintaining Israel's qualitative advantage, about Hezbollah and Hamas."
Responding to Gallant's indication that the two discussed democracy in Israel, Gantz said, "The fact that such a conversation is taking place between an Israeli Defense Minister and an American Defense Secretary is a political-security degeneration."