Politics
Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced Israel visit as Trump backs him before elections
October 20, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Coverage
4 reports · 3 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 1 hour
AJAl Jazeera English
Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced Israel visit
(opens the publisher’s site)
MAMasrawy
أكسيوس: وزير الدفاع الأمريكي التقى بـ نتنياهو خلال زيارة إلى إسرائيل
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera Arabic
وزير الدفاع الأمريكي زار إسرائيل سرا والتقى نتنياهو
(opens the publisher’s site)
SNSky News Arabia
هيغسيث يلتقي نتنياهو في زيارة غير معلنة تستبق الانتخابات
(opens the publisher’s site)US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on an unannounced visit to Israel, eight days before the Knesset elections.
- Hegseth met Netanyahu in Israel on Monday, two sources told Axios and Channel 12; the Pentagon and Israeli embassy declined to comment.
- Trump declared full support for Netanyahu in the October 27 parliamentary elections.
- Vice President Vance declined to endorse Netanyahu, saying he does not intervene in Israeli elections.
- Polls indicate Netanyahu's ruling coalition may lose its parliamentary majority.
- Hegseth met Netanyahu at a military airbase, Axios reported, citing two unnamed sources.
- The visit came one day after Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Truth Social as a US ally against Iran.