US President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, nine days before Israel's parliamentary election. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that Trump announced his support on Truth Social, giving the Likud leader a late campaign endorsement after months without an explicit public commitment.
Trump praised Netanyahu's leadership and cooperation against Iran, according to The Times of Israel's account of the post. He argued that another Israeli leader would leave Washington to confront Iran alone. This was Trump's political assessment; the endorsement did not establish how a future Israeli government would act.
Netanyahu thanked Trump on X for his support and their joint work, AP reported. The prime minister has presented his relationship with the US president as a reason to keep him in office. AP noted that their regional strategies had diverged while Trump held back from endorsing him, making the timing significant for Netanyahu's campaign.
Reuters reported that the electoral benefit remained uncertain, with Israeli support for Trump declining amid disagreements over Iran. Polls indicated Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition could lose its majority, but the opposition also faced difficulties forming a government. A campaign endorsement therefore does not resolve the parliamentary arithmetic.
The October 27 vote will be Israel's first national election since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, AP and Reuters reported. The prime minister emerges through coalition-building in parliament, rather than a direct popular vote. Reuters said an inconclusive result could leave Netanyahu serving as caretaker while another election takes place; the outcome and subsequent coalition talks remain decisive.
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