Will Trump’s Endorsement of Netanyahu Fire Up His Campaign or Fizzle?

President Trump’s endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday briefly energized the Israeli election, like a shot of adrenaline in an otherwise sluggish campaign. In an effusive social media post , Mr. Trump described Mr. Netanyahu as “a Great Warrior Prime Minister.” But that may end up being a gift that barely gives, analysts say, with any effect likely to be short-lived. One reason is that the Trump brand is simply not what it used to be in Israel. In the view of many Israelis, the president ended Israel’s wars in Iran and Lebanon prematurely, and his mercurial policy shifts have given them whiplash. Even the Israeli right, where Mr. Netanyahu largely draws his support, has soured on Mr. Trump at times, particularly after he announced a cease-fire with Iran in June that many Israelis worried would not address Israel’s security needs . Past American presidents have generally refrained from explicitly endorsing candidates in foreign countries, to avoid being seen as inserting themselves in their domestic affairs. Mr. Trump, though, doesn’t appear to share that sense of unease. Mr. Trump’s comments on Sunday appeared to be his first formal endorsement of Mr. Netanyahu, though the president has expressed support for the Israeli prime minister in other ways in past elections. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe .