U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, October 19, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the meeting. The Pentagon declined to comment on the trip, which was not announced in advance.
A Meeting Shrouded in Secrecy
According to Axios, the meeting took place at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, where U.S. refueling aircraft and fighter jets are deployed. Israel's National Security Adviser Shmuel Ben Ezra also attended. CNN independently reported the visit, citing two sources and a U.S. official, while Reuters said it could not independently confirm the meeting.
Hours after the reports surfaced, Hegseth acknowledged only that he had traveled to the Middle East. "It was an honor to visit our warfighters in @CENTCOM today. The best of our country, on a historic mission. Godspeed," he wrote on X, referring to U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East.
Iran Looming Over the Talks
Haaretz reported, citing an Israeli official, that the visit came as the two countries discuss the possibility of renewing their war against Iran. Last week, CNN reported that the U.S. military has developed new strike plans against Iran that could include the use of the GBU-43/B — the "mother of all bombs" — against the country's energy infrastructure and nuclear sites.
In a video released Monday, Netanyahu thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his backing and hinted at unfinished business with Iran. "Donald, we have a job to finish. You said it, and we'll finish it together," Netanyahu said, calling Trump "by far, the greatest friend Israel has ever had and will have in the White House."
Timing Days Before Israel's Election
The visit comes just eight days before Israel's parliamentary election on October 27 — the country's first vote since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. A day earlier, Trump gave Netanyahu his "Complete and Total Endorsement," calling him a "great warrior prime minister" and declaring, "BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
Notably, U.S. Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Netanyahu in an interview Monday, saying, "I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterms." Vance had earlier this year endorsed Hungary's Viktor Orbán — a contrast that did not go unnoticed.
Polls project that Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition will lose its governing majority, though the opposition may also struggle to form a government.
Why It Matters
The secret visit underscores how tightly Washington and Jerusalem are coordinating as both face pivotal moments — an imminent Israeli election and a possible new military campaign against Iran. Whether Hegseth's trip was routine alliance maintenance or a prelude to action, the silence from both governments has only deepened the intrigue.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Lightless Dawn (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters · Haaretz · Al Jazeera · Times of Israel