President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, nine days before Israelis vote in a national election that polls show is close.3,5,6,8
The endorsement came in a lengthy Truth Social post addressed to the Israeli people, in which Trump referred to Netanyahu as "Bibi" and called him a "Great Warrior Prime Minister." "If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so," Trump wrote.3,5,6
Trump credited Netanyahu with helping weaken Iran militarily and financially, and said the prime minister had been "Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself." He also wrote that Iran's leaders should "change their ways, rapidly," or the United States would "soon finish the job" against Tehran.3,5,8
The endorsement marked a change for Trump, who had earlier declined to say whether he supported Netanyahu's reelection. In a Time magazine interview published in early October, he said, "I'm not involved in politics anymore." Trump has backed candidates in other countries, including Hungary, Japan and Argentina, a departure from the traditional U.S. practice of avoiding explicit endorsements in foreign elections.3
The two leaders' relationship has been tested in recent months. Salon described the disputes as involving the war with Iran, Israeli military operations in Lebanon and efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. France 24 reported that Trump joined Israel in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February but agreed to a ceasefire in April, and that Netanyahu has said no diplomatic agreement with Iran's leadership is possible while Trump has sought a negotiated end to the conflict. Salon described the conflict as a nearly eight-month war, a timeline that differs from France 24's account of an April ceasefire.3,8
Netanyahu welcomed the endorsement on X. "Thank you, President Trump, for the tremendous support and work together," he wrote. "Together we will complete the mission!" France 24 quoted the same post with slightly different wording, "for your tremendous support and for our work together." His Likud party also circulated a campaign video featuring both leaders, in which, according to France 24, Netanyahu said the two had "crushed Iran."3,8
In remarks to voters, Netanyahu said, "I ask you to listen carefully to what President Trump said this evening," adding, "But there is still a mission to complete." France 24 described the election as widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu, who is running against a field of opposition parties.8
Israelis will vote on October 27 in their first national election since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. About seven million Israelis are eligible to vote, and the Knesset has 120 seats, with 61 needed to form a governing majority. Salon reported that recent polls suggest Netanyahu's governing bloc could fall short of that threshold, and France 24 said neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the one led by his main rival is currently positioned to reach 61 seats.3,8
Netanyahu's main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, leads the centre-right Yashar party and is a former military chief. Salon also named former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett among the figures leading the opposition. Eisenkot said he "admires" Trump "but Israel is a democratic country, only Israelis can choose their leaders." Opposition politicians have accused Netanyahu of bearing personal responsibility for the October 7 attack after allegedly ignoring warnings, according to France 24.3,8
Netanyahu, who turns 77 on October 21, is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, having served on and off for more than 19 years. He returned to power in December 2022 and tried to rein in the judiciary, which is examining corruption charges that could land him in jail, France 24 reported.8
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, responded on X that Netanyahu was "driving America into another war." "Last time you wanted to 'finish the job', Iran emerged even stronger. Want to try your luck again? Be our guest. But be careful; we have unfinished jobs too," Araghchi wrote. Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was "very disturbed" by images of an attack on an American photojournalist for The Washington Post by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, and Netanyahu's office said it was investigating the circumstances of the attack.8
The reports did not say whether the endorsement would affect the polls before the vote. The election, as France 24 put it, is seen as a referendum on Netanyahu, and Trump's post framed the choice for Israeli voters in terms of the United States. Netanyahu's own words on the eve of the vote, as he addressed supporters, were that "there is still a mission to complete."3,5,8
