Hegseth Reportedly Met Netanyahu Before Israel Election

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, October 19, ahead of Israel’s scheduled October 27 election. The meeting was reported by Axios, citing two people familiar with it; Reuters said it had not independently verified the account when it filed its report. Hegseth said on social media that he had visited U.S. service members in the area covered by U.S. Central Command, which includes the Middle East, parts of Africa and parts of Asia. His post confirmed a regional visit but did not mention Netanyahu or the reported meeting. The meeting’s agenda has not been disclosed. The report places the meeting a week before Israelis are due to vote for the Knesset. Israel’s Central Elections Committee scheduled the election for October 27, 2026. It will be the country’s first national election since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The reported contact came after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the vote. Trump praised the Israeli leader and offered his support in a social-media post. Vice President J.D. Vance, by contrast, said in an...