Netanyahu warns future US president could be hostile, eyes closer ties with India

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that a future US president could be hostile to Israel, and called for new alliances with countries such as India and those in Latin America to strengthen his country's position. He made the remarks at an event presenting his security doctrine, nine days before Israel's October 27 election.

The remarks come as Netanyahu seeks to bolster his diplomatic standing amid concerns that shifting US politics could undermine Israel's most important alliance. They also highlight his efforts to court emerging powers like India and Latin American nations as a hedge against possible changes in Washington.

Netanyahu said Israel must work the American arena hard during the remainder of Donald Trump's presidency and the two years after it. “First, we must do everything we can during these two years, and during the following two years, in the American arena, through good times and bad,” he said.

The second element of his approach was to build other alliances. “The second thing is to create other alliances. That is what I am working on now with many countries in our region and outside it. India is not a small country, and there are many others,” Netanyahu said. He pointed to political developments in Latin America as an opening, noting a possible change in Brazil within days. He said Israel must “expand our pool of alliances and develop capabilities that make us valuable to everyone.”

Netanyahu has often invoked India and his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to argue that Israel is not isolated internationally. In May this year he described India as a “huge power” and said there was “absolutely crazy love for Israel” in the country.

The remarks came hours before a strong endorsement from US President Donald Trump, who publicly expressed his support for Netanyahu's re-election bid days before the vote.

Gadi Eisenkot, the main challenger to the Israeli Prime Minister in the upcoming polls, sharply criticised the presentation, describing it as an empty political exercise rather than a serious national security strategy. “Nine days before the election and three years after the gravest failure and disaster in Israel's history, with every war front still open, Netanyahu decided to present his 'security doctrine' to the public,” Eisenkot said. He dismissed the document as a collection of slogans unrelated to any security doctrine.

Eisenkot also accused Netanyahu of manipulating perceptions and spreading fear to divert attention from his campaign. “This is Mr. Netanyahu's method: manipulating perceptions, frightening people and trying to divert attention from the parade of lies and racism surrounding his campaign tonight,” he said.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is facing a tough re-election battle. His security doctrine presentation, which frames the election as a choice about Israel's future alliances, is likely to be a focal point in the final days of the campaign.