Trump endorses Netanyahu ahead of close Israeli election on 27 October
The US president backed Israel’s prime minister after months of declining to do so. Polls suggest Netanyahu’s coalition could lose its majority, but the endorsement’s effect on voters is unclear.
US President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, 18 October, ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election on 27 October. The public backing gives Netanyahu a prominent ally’s support as polls point to a close contest, though its effect on voters is unclear.
In a Truth Social post, Trump gave Netanyahu his ‘Complete and Total Endorsement’, Al Jazeera reported. He called him a ‘Great Warrior Prime Minister’ and praised him as a partner in combating Iran, according to France 24. Trump also wrote that ‘BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!’
Netanyahu thanked Trump on X, calling him his ‘dear friend’ and saying, ‘Together we will complete the mission!’, Reuters reported. Trump’s post defended the US and Israeli decision to initiate the war against Iran and claimed that Iran had been weakened, according to Al Jazeera.
Why Trump’s endorsement came now
The announcement followed months in which Trump had declined to say whether he would back Netanyahu. Earlier in October, he avoided endorsing the prime minister when asked about his performance in an interview with Time magazine, Al Jazeera reported. Trump later told Axios in a telephone interview that he had always intended to endorse Netanyahu but did not want to do it too early, according to Al Jazeera.
The two leaders have also disagreed during the war with Iran. France 24 reported that Trump criticised Israel’s attack on a key Iranian gas field. The endorsement therefore comes despite public differences over the conduct of a war that Trump cited as a reason to support Netanyahu.
What the polls suggest before the 27 October vote
Opinion polls project that Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition will lose its governing majority, Reuters reported. The opposition may also struggle to form a government. Reuters said that combination could leave Netanyahu serving as caretaker prime minister while another election is held. Those are possible outcomes after the vote, rather than results already determined.
It is unclear whether Trump’s endorsement will help Netanyahu at the ballot box. France 24 reported that many Israelis have expressed disappointment with Trump over the outcome of the Iran war and his ceasefire proposal. Voters will decide the composition of the next parliament on 27 October; neither the endorsement nor the current polling settles who can form a government afterward.
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Sources and context
- Trump endorses Netanyahu in close Israeli electionAl-Monitor (Reuters report)
- Trump endorses Netanyahu in Israeli legislative electionsAl Jazeera
- Trump endorses embattled Israeli PM Netanyahu ahead of October 27 electionFrance 24
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.