FEBRUARY 6, 2025 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday at the Pentagon for a discussion following last night’s meeting between the prime minister and President Donald J. Trump at the White House.
“We’re honored to stand alongside you and stare down many of the same threats that you do, and under President Trump’s leadership, just like you, we are totally committed to achieving peace through strength,” Hegseth told Netanyahu.
He noted that the relationship between the U.S. and Israel is longstanding, and he expects it to continue and grow as the U.S. steps up its commitment to the country.
“We are going to continue to grow our defense industrial base,”Hegseth said. “We’ve supplied munitions that were previously not supplied [and] that are useful in eradicating radical enemies, and we are committed to continuing to do so.”
The U.S. authorized the release of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, Jan. 25, 2025, a munition that had previously been held back. The president told reporters at the time that those weapons had been paid for and that Israel had been waiting “a long time” for their delivery.
Hegseth also highlighted the mission given to him by the president, which is to achieve peace for the United States by building a stronger military.
“I hope you’ve noticed here at the Defense Department, under President Trump, we are laser-focused on reviving the warrior ethos, on rebuilding America’s military and reestablishing deterrence, which is something you … have done in your neighborhood in impressive, aggressive and important ways,” Hegseth said.
Peace through strength is a concept Israel shares with the United States, Netanyahu said.
“The only way to get peace, and enduring peace, is by being very, very strong,” he said. “And with our alliance and your support, including the decision … of supplying Israel the much-needed tools for our defense, we are a lot stronger than we’ve ever been.”
By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News