Hegseth visits Israel for unannounced Netanyahu meeting — SkimNews
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- Pete Hegseth met with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed visit to Israel on Monday, according to Axios, which cited two sources familiar with the matter.
- Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Truth Social on Sunday for next week's parliamentary election, praising him as a US ally against Iran and declaring his 'Complete and Total Endorsement.'
- JD Vance declined to endorse Netanyahu in a Monday interview with 2WAY, saying he focuses only on American midterm candidates — despite having endorsed Hungary's Viktor Orban earlier this year.
- Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is projected by opinion polls to lose its governing majority in next week's vote, though the opposition may also struggle to form a government.
- The upcoming election is Israel's first parliamentary vote since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and Israel's subsequent campaign in Gaza began.
- The Pentagon and Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Reuters could not independently confirm the visit.
Why it matters: Polls project Netanyahu's coalition to lose its governing majority in next week's election, making Hegseth's unannounced visit a high-stakes public show of US support. Trump's endorsement paired with Vance's refusal — notable given Vance endorsed Hungary's Orban earlier this year — exposes a split on whether Washington should pick sides in Israeli elections.
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