WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday began a weeklong trip to the Middle East to consult with Israeli leaders on Syria’s civil war and Iran’s nuclear program and to discuss a set of U.S. arms deals with Israel and two Arab countries.
On his first Mideast visit as Pentagon chief, Hagel planned stops in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Each is a longstanding U.S. security partner and each is concerned by the threat of Syria’s collapse and Iran’s suspected pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
Hagel’s focus on Israel comes in light of the criticism he drew from some in Congress who opposed his nomination to be defense secretary. An unusually vigorous public campaign to block his nomination featured claims that he is “anti-Israel,” a charge the former Republican senator from Nebraska vehemently denies.Hagen’s bruising Senate confirmation hearing in February raised questions about whether he had been hard enough on Iran, but he repeatedly said he backed U.S. and international penalties against Tehran for its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Some groups slammed Hagel’s use of the term “Jewish lobby” to refer to pro-Israel group seeking to influence lawmakers in Washington. He has publicly apologized and said he should have used different wording.
The U.S. is finalizing $10 billion in arms deals with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that will provide them with a range of weaponry, including aircraft and missiles. During his stop in each of those three countries, Hagel was expected to discuss details of each segment of those arms sales.
Hagel’s visit to Israel comes one month after President Barack Obama was in Jerusalem to reassure Israelis of a U.S. commitment to their security and to urge renewed effort to move forward with Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
