Hegseth reportedly makes unannounced visit to Israel, meets Netanyahu
11 sourcesUpdated Oct 20, 20261 min read
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Axios, which cited two sources familiar with the matter. The Pentagon and Israel’s Embassy in Washington did not comment, and Reuters said it could not independently confirm the visit; no details of the meeting’s agenda have been reported, including whether Iran was discussed. The trip came days before Israel’s Knesset election and after President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu, while Vice President JD Vance said he would not intervene in the vote; polls suggest Netanyahu’s coalition could lose its majority.
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No center coverage yet — a bubble gap.
Vance saying the US won't intervene makes sense, but this kind of meeting still gives the impression of picking sides in their vote.
Hegseth's unannounced stop in Israel right before their election looks like quiet coordination after Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu.
