![United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington DC., United States on May 1, 2025. [Celal Güneş - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AA-20250501-37816870-37816862-UNITED_STATES_PRESIDENT_DONALD_TRUMP-1-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Israeli media reported on Friday that US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has cancelled a visit to Israel scheduled for next week.
A source stated that the reason for the cancellation was that Hegseth decided to join Trump on his visit to the region early next week.
The US Secretary of Defence was scheduled to make his first visit to Israel since taking office, ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming tour of the region, according to Axios.
Israeli Army Radio reported on Friday that sources close to US President Donald Trump informed Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer that the US president had decided to cut off contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The radio explained that Trump’s people told Dermer that Netanyahu was manipulating the US president, stressing that “There is nothing Trump hates more than being portrayed as a fool or someone being played. That’s why he decided to cut contact with Netanyahu.”
READ: Trump cuts off communication with Netanyahu, Israel media says