US Defense Secretary in Israel; Stays at Airport Due to Protests

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has arrived in Israel. According to Reuters, Austin landed at Ben Gurion Airport.

As reported by Haaretz, Lloyd Austin will not leave the airport due to ongoing protests in Tel Aviv, and he will hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant right at the airport.

A crowd of protesters opposing Netanyahu's government's judicial reform has blocked the entrances to the highways leading to Tel Aviv's airport. Netanyahu is supposed to fly to Rome today. The police are preparing to disperse the gathered crowd using water cannon.