# Hegseth meets Netanyahu ahead of election

> U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unannounced visit to Israel meets Netanyahu days before election.
- Title: Hegseth meets Netanyahu ahead of election · Straight Arrow
- Summary: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unannounced visit to Israel meets Netanyahu days before election. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime…
- Keywords: 2026 election, elections, midterms, pete hegseth, politics, victor orbán, u.s. central command, jd vance, benjamin netanyahu, israel, middle east, hungary
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/hegseth-makes-unannounced-visit-to-israel-meets-with-netanyahu-ahead-of-election-reports
- Published: 2026-10-20T13:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: 2026 election, elections, midterms, pete hegseth, politics, victor orbán, u.s. central command, jd vance, benjamin netanyahu, israel, middle east, hungary
## Hegseth unannounced visit to Israel
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, reportedly meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just days before the country’s election.
## Hegset: unconfirmed meeting with Netanyahu
Hegseth posted photos of himself visiting U.S. troops in the Middle East but did not disclose his location or mention a stop in Israel.
## Netanyahu thanks Trump
Netanyahu released video Monday of a phone call with Trump, thanking the president for endorsing his reelection bid.
## Trump endorses Netanyahu
Trump praised Netanyahu’s role in the war against Iran and warned against electing another leader.
## Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu
Vice President JD Vance, however, is not joining Trump’s endorsement.
## Vance's stance on Israeli elections
Vance said his focus is on American candidates ahead of the midterms and he is not getting involved in Israeli elections.
## Vance's previous foreign election involvement
Vance previously traveled to Hungary to campaign for then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
## Netanyahu's election timeline
Israel's national election on October 27 is the first since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack; polls show Netanyahu's coalition projected to fall short of the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority.
## Trump's warning on U.S. action
Trump stated he would not be 'inclined' to continue military operations if Netanyahu loses, warning the United States might otherwise have to 'finish the job' against Iran itself.
## U.S.-Israel military tensions
The visit comes amid heightened tensions with Iran and follows Trump’s recent threats of additional U.S. strikes.
## Hegseth's meeting location
Hegseth met Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base during an unannounced visit to Israel, Axios reported.
## Hegseth's military activities
Hegseth also met U.S. Personnel at the base and posted photographs of himself addressing troops assigned to U.S. Central Command.
## Hegseth's unconfirmed meeting
The Pentagon and Israel’s Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on the reported meeting, whose topics were not disclosed.
## U.S. involvement in Israeli vote
Senior U.S. officials are actively engaged in Israeli domestic politics ahead of that country's election, reflecting the current state of the U.S.-Israel relationship and its connection to ongoing military activity in the Middle East.
## Hegseth's visit timing
The visit occurred amid tensions between the United States and Iran and ahead of Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election.
## Netanyahu's election prospects
Polls show Netanyahu's coalition projected to fall short of the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority.
## Key takeaway

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unannounced ahead of Israel's October 27 election.