WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Monday during an unannounced visit, the Axios news site reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the meeting.
The meeting between the hawkish ally of President Donald Trump and the Israeli premier came eight days before knife-edge Knesset elections and coincided with discussions between the US and Israel about the possibility of resuming major combat operations against Iran, according to Axios.
Israel’s Army Radio reported his meeting with Netanyahu took place at an air force base in Israel’s southern desert.
Shortly after the Axios report, Hegseth published photographs and messages on social media documenting a visit to US military personnel serving under the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the command responsible for US military operations in the Middle East.
“As always, it has been an honor to visit our fighters at CENTCOM today. The best of our country, on a historic mission,” he said.
Trump on Sunday threw his support behind Netanyahu ahead of the Oct. 27 elections, declaring his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of the longtime leader’s bid for re-election.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, he praised Netanyahu’s leadership and his partnership with Washington, particularly in confronting Iran, warning that the US could be forced to take on the burden itself if Israelis choose another leader.
US Vice President JD Vance, however, declined to endorse Netanyahu in an interview earlier on Monday, saying he was not getting involved in Israeli elections.
“I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on is the midterms,” Vance, who travelled to Budapest and endorsed Viktor Orban in Hungarian elections earlier this year, said in an interview with digital media outlet 2WAY.
“I’m not anti-endorsing him, but I’m not pro-endorsing him; I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections,” Vance said.
Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also struggle to form a government, opinion polls suggest.
Source: Saudi Gazette