The passing of David Horowitz is an incalculable loss, but he lived long enough to see the movement he had helped recreate become an actual fighting force. Who is Israel’s David Horowitz?A tribute.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is set to travel to Israel on May 12, marking his first official visit to the country since assuming his post, two Israeli officials told Axios on Saturday.
The visit is scheduled to take place shortly before President Donald Trump’s planned tour of the Gulf region.
During his stay, Hegseth is expected to meet with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Axios.
Following his visit to Israel, Hegseth will continue to Saudi Arabia, where he will join Trump for the next leg of the former president’s Middle East trip. The White House recently confirmed that Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates starting May 13, but is not currently expected to include Israel in his itinerary.
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on Hegseth’s travel schedule.
Hegseth’s reported visit will take place as Israeli defense officials and pro-Israel groups in Washington have voiced concerns over what they perceive as skepticism among several of Trump’s Pentagon appointees regarding US military engagement in the Middle East—especially with respect to Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his advisers have reportedly continued to urge American officials to consider a credible military option to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The US and Iran have held two rounds of nuclear talks. Trump has repeatedly said he prefers to solve the nuclear standoff with Iran through a deal, but has also not ruled out military action against Iran.
Two weeks ago, the US President said that, if military action is required to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, Israel will be involved and even lead the effort.
“With Iran, if it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, we do what we want to do,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office.
Later, Trump expressed optimism that a deal could be reached between the US and Iran on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
“On the Iran situation, I think we’re doing very well. I think a deal is going to be made there. That’s going to happen. Pretty soon it’s going to happen,” Trump told reporters.
“We’ll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place,” he added.
