U.S. defense chief visits Israel

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Israel. Gates landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday as part of a regional tour that also took him to Jordan and Egypt. Israeli officials said the visit, the first by a Pentagon chief in eight years, would finally put to rest a bilateral spat over Israeli exports of advanced weaponry to China.Gates met with Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz for talks on Iran and other regional issues. On Thursday he is to meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni before departing.