Trump endorses Netanyahu in close Israeli election

Item 1 of 6 U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo [1/6] U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach,... Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab Read more Summary Trump endorses longtime Israeli leader after fissures over Iran Late endorsement might help, couldn't hurt, analyst says Americans unhappy with Iran war before November elections Israelis, even those critical of Israel, back Iran war WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, Oct 18 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu ​as the longtime Israeli prime minister struggles for an edge in next week's parliamentary election. Trump praised Netanyahu as a "great warrior prime minister" and peace ‌partner, crediting him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February. The conflict, in its seventh month, has disrupted energy markets globally and wreaked havoc across the Middle East, damaging critical infrastructure and destabilizing regional economies. Sign up here. "Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself," Trump wrote in a post on Truth ​Social. "Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived! I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times. Normal men ​or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains ⁠that same Strength today." In his message, addressed to "the Great People of Israel," Trump added, "Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu ​in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel." The Trump endorsement is not certain to give Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party a boost in the October ​27 national election, as Israeli public support for Trump has diminished amid Israeli-US disagreements over Iran. Polls have suggested no candidate has a clear path to power. Israel's prime minister is chosen through coalition-building in parliament rather than by direct popular vote. It will be Israel's first vote since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that shook the country and plunged the Middle East into turmoil, as Israel went ​to war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The election could determine whether Netanyahu remains in power after one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history, or is defeated ​by centrist rivals promising to usher in a new era. Netanyahu promptly expressed his thanks to his "dear friend Donald" on X, saying, "Together we will complete the mission!" Trump has broken with longtime US tradition ‌by endorsing ⁠candidates in elections in foreign countries including Hungary, Colombia, Argentina, Japan and Honduras. ENDORSEMENT MIGHT HELP, CAN'T HURT Trump's relationship with Netanyahu has been close but also fractious, with the president at times publicly and privately criticizing Israel's longest-serving prime minister. The war that the US and Israel launched against Iran is unpopular with Americans, who vote November 3 in congressional elections, while support for Israel among Americans has also decreased over the Iran war and Israel's conduct in the three-year war in Gaza that Trump has promised to end. Both leaders on Sunday mentioned ​finishing the job in Iran. Tamar Hermann, a ​senior research fellow at the non-partisan ⁠Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem, said Trump's late endorsement could help win back wavering Netanyahu voters but was unlikely to draw widespread support. Most Israelis, even those who are critical of Netanyahu and his government, were largely in favor of the Iran war. In an election ​this close, "it couldn't hurt him, and it might help," said analyst Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ​in Washington. Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition ⁠is projected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also struggle to form a government, opinion polls show. That could lead to Netanyahu serving as a caretaker prime minister while another election is held. The US president passed up earlier opportunities to endorse Netanyahu, perhaps because he wanted to see what leverage he could exercise on issues like Gaza or Lebanon, said ⁠Miller. In the end, ​he said, Trump sided with a leader he sees as strong and unfairly persecuted. "However angry Trump may ​be at Netanyahu for pushing this Iran war, this in the end was a Trump decision," Miller added. A Trump decision not to endorse Netanyahu would have raised "legitimate questions about whether or not the whole Iran venture was ​in fact something Trump should have done," he said. Adds political analysts, election details paragraphs 13-20 Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington, Steve Scheer, Alexander Cornwell, Rami Ayyub in Israel; Editing by Joe Bavier and Cynthia Osterman Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Suggested Topics: Middle East X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights Alexander Cornwell Thomson Reuters Alexander has over a decade of international reporting experience. He is currently a senior correspondent in Jerusalem covering Israel & the Palestinian Territories and was formerly in Dubai where he covered the Arabian Peninsula, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, often writing about foreign policy, security and economic-related issues. Email X Instagram Linkedin