Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held a series of meetings with senior officials during his official visit to the United States this week, including on Tuesday with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces Gen. Charles Q. Brown at the Pentagon.
On Wednesday, Halevi met with the commander of CENTCOM, Gen. Michael Kurilla, for a joint situational assessment on prevailing challenges in the Middle East, with a focus on Lebanon and Iran.
During the visit, Halevi was awarded the Legion of Merit in recognition of the cooperation between the two countries’ militaries during his tenure. Halevi thanked his counterparts for the United States’ strategic and operational cooperation during the war against Hamas.
Additionally, Halevi met with and briefed members of the Jewish community in Washington, D.C., on the war. He also delivered a lecture to military officers from the United States and around the world at the National Defense University on the IDF’s operations during the conflict, including command challenges and lessons learned.
Halevi expedited his return to Israel on Wednesday evening due to progress in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks.