Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced Israel visit

Hegseth has travelled to Israel to conscionable Netanyahu up of a intimately contested election, Axios reported, citing sources.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed sojourn to Israel, according to Axios.

The gathering betwixt the hawkish state of US President Donald Trump and the seasoned Israeli premier facing a knife-edge predetermination occurred connected Monday, Axios reported, citing 2 sources with cognition of the matter.

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The Reuters quality bureau could not instantly corroborate the visit. The Pentagon and Israel’s embassy successful Washington did not instantly respond to requests for comment, and determination was nary contiguous denotation of what they discussed.

Trump endorsement

President Trump took to his societal media level Truth Social connected Sunday to endorse Netanyahu successful adjacent week’s parliamentary election, the archetypal ballot since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks successful 2023 and Israel’s genocidal run successful Gaza began.

US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shingle hands [File: AFP]

Trump praised the premier curate for being an state of the US successful its warfare connected Iran. He added that Netanyahu had his “Complete and Total Endorsement”.

“BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.

Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist conjugation is projected to suffer its governing majority, though the opposition whitethorn besides conflict to signifier a government, sentiment polls suggest.

US Vice President JD Vance, however, declined to endorse Netanyahu successful an interrogation earlier connected Monday, saying helium was not getting progressive successful Israeli elections.

“I endorse American candidates, and that’s wherever I’m focused connected is the midterms,” Vance, who travelled to Budapest and endorsed Viktor Orban successful Hungarian elections earlier this year, said successful an interrogation with integer media outlet 2WAY.

“I’m not anti-endorsing him, but I’m not pro-endorsing him; I’m not getting progressive successful Israeli elections,” Vance said.