JERUSALEM: With less than two weeks to go before Israel’s general election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he is to visit London on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It said Netanyahu, facing what could be a tough fight for re-election on September 17, would also meet US Defense Secretary Mark Esper while in the British capital.
Netanyahu returns to Israel on Friday.
It would be his first meeting with Johnson or Esper since the two took up their current posts, his office said in a statement.
“The PM will discuss with British prime minister Johnson the situation in the (Middle East) region and how to repel Iranian terror and aggression,” it said.
The meeting with Esper, it added, would focus on “Israel’s security needs” after the two had spoken by phone on Tuesday and agreed to “expand their conversation in London.”
Israeli media have said the United States and Israel are discussing the possible announcement of some form of defense alliance, likely to boost Netanyahu’s image as an international statesman.
Just ahead of inconclusive April 9 parliamentary polls, US President Donald Trump acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, in what amounted to a major pre-election gift to his close ally Netanyahu.
On March 25 the two men met in Washington for a signing of Trump’s order recognizing Israel’s right to the strategic Golan Heights it captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Israel’s Netanyahu makes snap trip to London for Johnson talks
Israel’s Netanyahu makes snap trip to London for Johnson talks
- The pair will discuss the situation in the region and how to repel Iranian aggression
- The visit comes just ahead of Israel’s September 17 elections
Syrian officials attend World Defense Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia
- They meet representatives of military organizations and defense companies to learn about latest technologies and discuss collaborations
- The event, which takes place every 2 years, was founded in 2022 by the Saudi Authority for Military Industries
LONDON: A delegation from the Syrian Arab Republic visited the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.
Led by Brig. Gen. Asem Hawari, commander of air forces and air defense, the group also included officials from the country’s Ministry of Defense. They met representatives of military organizations and defense companies to learn about the latest technologies and to discuss collaborations and the exchange of expertise, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The biennial World Defense Show was founded by Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Military Industries in 2022. It has become what organizers describe as a key global platform for defense professionals that brings together industry leaders, military figures and government officials to explore advances in air, land sea and space defense and security.
The 2026 event, titled “The Future of Defense Integration,” began on Sunday and continues until Thursday at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center.
