Mayor Rahm Emanuel met Thursday with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak--who is delivering a message from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu--that he is not attempting to interfere in the U.S. elections on behalf of Mitt Romney.

Emanuel spokesman Sarah Hamilton confirmed that the meeting took place in Chicago's City Hall starting at 1:15 p.m. Chicago time and lasting between 45 minutes and an hour. She added that Barak and Emanuel--who often has met with foreign dignitaries who are in Chicago--originally had intended to meet six months ago.