Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced Israel visit

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, DC [File: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 20 Oct 202620 Oct 2026US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed visit to Israel, according to Axios.The meeting between the hawkish ally of US President Donald Trump and the veteran Israeli premier facing a knife-edge election occurred on Monday, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3On Iran, Israel’s opposition is even more hawkish than Netanyahulist 2 of 3Trump backs Netanyahu: Is the US planning a new Iran attack with Israel?list 3 of 3Netanyahu’s new security doctrine: Regional strategy or election ploy?end of listThe Reuters news agency could not immediately confirm the visit. The Pentagon and Israel’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate indication of what they discussed.Trump endorsementPresident Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday to endorse Netanyahu in next week’s parliamentary election, the first vote since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks in 2023 and Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza began.US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands [File: AFP]Trump praised the prime minister for being an ally of the US in its war on Iran. He added that Netanyahu had his “Complete and Total Endorsement”.“BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.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.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.