Hegseth traveled to Israel to meet with Netanyahu ahead of a hotly contested election, Axios reported, citing sources.
Published on October 20, 2026
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed visit to Israel, according to Axios.
The meeting between US President Donald Trump’s hawkish ally and Israel’s veteran prime minister facing a close election took place on Monday, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
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The Reuters news agency could not immediately confirm the visit. The Pentagon and the Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate indication of what they discussed.
Trump endorsement
President Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday to support Netanyahu in next week’s parliamentary elections, the first vote since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023 and the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
Trump praised the prime minister for being an ally of the United States in its war against Iran. He added that Netanyahu had his “complete and total support.”
“BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU FALL!” » Trump wrote.
Netanyahu’s religious and nationalist coalition is expected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also struggle to form a government, opinion polls suggest.
US Vice President JD Vance, however, refused to support Netanyahu in an interview on Monday, saying he was not getting involved in Israeli elections.
“I support the American candidates, and that’s where my focus is, is the midterms,” Vance, who visited Budapest and supported Viktor Orban in the Hungarian elections earlier this year, said in an interview with digital media outlet 2WAY.
“I’m not against supporting him, but I’m also not in favor of supporting him; I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections,” Vance said.
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