US President Donald Trump on Sunday supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the home stretch of his re-election campaign.
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The endorsement is a coveted boost given Trump’s popularity in Israel, but he withheld it for months in the run-up to the vote and as the two leaders’ Middle East strategies diverged.
In a social media post, Trump said Netanyahu “has been a great warrior Prime Minister and an even greater partner for peace in the fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Israelis are expected to vote on October 27 in the first national elections since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your tremendous support and working together,” Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language statement on X. “Together we will complete the mission!” »
The lack of support was a blow to the Likud politician, who has presented his close ties to Trump as a selling point for remaining in power.
Likud attached a 35-second video to the statement, showing clips of the two leaders together and of Trump praising Netanyahu.
It is not yet clear what impact this approval will have on a race that promises to be close.
The lack of support was a setback for the Likud politician, who had presented his close ties to the Republican president as a selling point for remaining in power.
Trump’s support comes after months of reluctance
Trump supported Netanyahu in previous elections, and in November he wrote to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges.
In recent months, however, Trump’s remarks toward the prime minister have been much more moderate, and he has repeatedly hesitated when asked whether he would support him.
Asked about it in an interview with Time magazine published this month, Trump said, “I’m not involved in politics anymore,” although he continues to campaign and support American politicians.
Trump remains popular in Israel; However, many Israelis, including prominent commentators, have expressed disappointment with the inconclusive outcome of the Iran war and Trump’s proposed ceasefire, which failed to achieve many of the key goals the two countries set when they jointly launched the war in February.
In his Sunday message, Trump again threatened to “finish the job soon” on Iran “unless it quickly changes its ways.” He added that he might not want to if Netanyahu lost.
“If Israel has a bad leader, who would be someone other than Bibi, America will have to do that job itself, and I’m not inclined to do that,” Trump said.
He described Netanyahu as “strong, courageous and brilliant in the face of enormous opposition, including that even from Israel itself.”
Trump and Netanyahu have long been close allies and appear more aligned than ever after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2025. During the nearly eight-month war with Iran this year, however, they have clashed.
Trump criticized Israel’s decision to attack a key Iranian gas field in the first weeks of the war. In June, he called Netanyahu “crazy” and said he was “a little disturbed” that fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was hampering peace talks with Iran.
In Gaza, Netanyahu in August rejected Trump’s latest plan to advance a stalled ceasefire. The plan called for Israel to withdraw from territory it controls in Gaza before Hamas was disarmed, and Netanyahu pushed back.
Especially during his second term, Trump has sought to put his stamp of approval on foreign election candidates by taking credit for their victory.
He supported Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his unsuccessful bid for a fifth term, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and several Latin American leaders.
Additional sources • PA
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