Trump endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Israel votes Oct. 27, with polls showing no clear winner.
President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, nine days before Israel’s parliamentary election on Oct. 27, as the longtime leader struggles for an edge.
In a post on Truth Social addressed to the people of Israel, Trump praised Netanyahu as a strong and brave leader who has endured heavy opposition, including from within Israel. He called him a peace partner and credited him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February. Trump asked Israelis to treat the letter as his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu’s bid for reelection. Netanyahu thanked Trump on X and said the two would complete the mission, Reuters reported.
The endorsement is not certain to help Netanyahu or his right-wing Likud party, Reuters reported, because Israeli public support for Trump has diminished amid U.S.-Israeli disagreements over Iran. Polls suggest no candidate has a clear path to power. Israel’s prime minister is chosen through coalition-building in parliament, not by direct popular vote.
It will be Israel’s first national vote since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which led Israel into wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The election could determine whether Netanyahu stays in power after one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history or is defeated by centrist rivals promising a new era. The conflict with Iran, now in its seventh month, has disrupted global energy markets and damaged infrastructure and economies across the Middle East. Trump has broken with longstanding U.S. practice by endorsing candidates in foreign elections, including in Hungary, Colombia, Argentina, Japan and Honduras.