US defence secretary arrives in Israel

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel arrived in Israel early Thursday to hold talks with Israeli officials on issues pertaining to the region. According to Israeli radio, Hagel's meeting with Israeli officials would focus on regional issues such as the Iranian nuclear file and Syria. Hagel is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Perez, and counterpart Moshe Ya'alon during his two-day visit. Prior to Hagel's visit, the Israeli army said that it was suffering from a deficit estimated at two billion Shekels. The rate for the Israeli currency is currently 3.5 Shekel per USD. Israeli Army hopes that Hagel's visit would help in attracting support from the US to cover the deficit. Hagel's regional tour included visits to GCC states. He promised during his visit that the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program would not threaten the security of the GCC countries