US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth held a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel this week, Axios reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Neither the Israeli government nor the US administration has commented on the reported meeting, which came after US President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election scheduled for next week.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the British think tank Chatham House, said Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu was “politically significant”, particularly as it followed months of tensions between the two leaders. Trump’s backing of Netanyahu signals a renewed political alignment between Washington and Israel, which Vakil said could pave the way for further joint military action. However, the endorsement does not necessarily mean that the two leaders have agreed on another operation, nor does it settle the question of who initially pushed hardest for war,” she said. Vance said he did not intend to get involved in Israel’s elections. “I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on is the midterms,” Vance said.
Opinion polls indicate that Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition could lose its majority in parliament, while opposition parties may also face difficulties in securing enough support to form a government. Analysts also say Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu has largely centred on the war with Iran, particularly amid speculation that the US president could seek to resume military strikes either before or after the midterm elections in early November. Several US media reports have suggested that the Pentagon may be preparing to launch fresh attacks before voters go to the polls. She warned that this could make it “harder for Trump to distance himself from the war or portray the US as having been reluctantly drawn into it. “He is explicitly taking ownership of the partnership and its military campaign against Iran.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, who has openly accused Netanyahu of pulling the United States into the war, refrained from endorsing the Israeli prime minister in an interview on Monday.
