Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., on Sunday, followed through with plans to travel to Israel despite an exchange of live fire in the north earlier in the day between the Israeli Defense Forces and Lebanese Hezbollah. 

Brown, who had been planning to go to Israel as part of a three-country visit throughout the Middle East, said that he still wanted to make sure he could travel to Tel Aviv, regardless of the day’s earlier combative activity in the region.

“I wanted to make sure we had options to still go to Israel. The exchange occurred pretty early in the morning, so we monitored the situation throughout the day, and I talked to my Israeli counterpart,” Brown told reporters on Monday. 

“I factored everything that was going on in real time. It’s no different than what I do in my day-to-day schedule in the Pentagon,” he added.   

Having already traveled between Jordan and Egypt during the weekend to meet with his counterparts and other high-level officials, Brown then proceeded to Tel Aviv that evening, where he met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, according to a statement from the chairman’s office. 

“The leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership while also discussing the most recent engagement across [Israel and Lebanese borders] and the need to de-escalate tensions to avoid a broader conflict,” the statement reads. 

“They also discussed the chairman’s recent engagements with regional partners; Israel having the means to defend itself; the vital need for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza residents and to minimize civilian casualties; and the importance of preventing the conflict from broadening,” the statement continues.    

This was Brown’s second trip to Israel since he became chairman of the Joint Staff in October of 2023. His first visit was with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in December that year.

Brown said that his decision to go to Israel in spite of the day’s earlier exchange of fire demonstrated the United States’ commitment to the region. 

“The fact that I still went — I think from a timing perspective — I thought was important,” Brown said. 

“The message I carried coming into the region was to deter a broader conflict,” he continued, “and I think by going to all three countries — particularly by going to Israel after the day’s events — it sends a pretty strong message.” 

Along the lines of messaging, Brown was asked how the value of trust — what Brown views as the foundation of the United States’ military profession — ties into his work with regional counterparts to achieve strategic goals. 

“[Trust] is as much a priority for me,” he replied. 

“I really believe that I learn more by listening; by going in, listening to what our partners have to say and trying to understand their perspective,” Brown said. “And, also, by sharing my perspective — that’s what helps to build that trust.”

After having completed his three-country visit to the Middle East — where the chairman experienced everything from celebrating 75 years of successful diplomatic relations with Jordan, to being the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to visit Egypt since 2016, to having to make a crucial, real-time decision as to whether to visit Israel on a day of armed escalation — Brown was asked about the importance of showing up in the region, in-person, rather than conducting foreign relations from the comfort and safety of Washington. 

“Anytime I can get out and engage with our partners … and engage with other members of their staff … I think there’s great value in that,” Brown replied. 

“That’s how you build trust: by being present.”

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