Trump endorses embattled Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election

U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, delivering a much-anticipated boost to the longtime leader as he struggles for an edge in a tight parliamentary election. The endorsement, delivered via Truth Social, praises Netanyahu as a great warrior prime minister and an essential partner in combating Iran. Yet the backing comes after months in which the U.S. Leader withheld support while their regional strategies diverged.

Allies in Conflict: The Iran War and Foreign Policy Divergence

Trump and Netanyahu share a history of close alliance, solidified by joint strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in 2025. Over the course of a nearly eight-month war with Iran this year, however, the two leaders clashed repeatedly. Trump previously criticized Israel's decision to attack a key Iranian gas field in the opening weeks of the conflict, called Netanyahu crazy in June, and expressed frustration that fighting with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was holding back regional peace talks.

Tensions also flared over Gaza. Netanyahu rejected Trump's latest ceasefire proposal advanced in August, pushing back against a plan that called for Israeli withdrawal from territory it controls in Gaza before Hamas is disarmed. Furthermore, many Israelis and leading commentators have voiced disappointment over the inconclusive outcome of the war with Iran and Trump's ceasefire proposals, which fell short of the key goals set when the countries jointly launched military action in February.

Despite these frictions, Trump's Sunday endorsement leaned heavily on the shared campaign against Iran and warned voters of the consequences of a leadership change. If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so, Trump wrote, threatening to soon finish the job against Iran unless the nation changes its ways rapidly.

Key Issue	Benjamin Netanyahu / Likud Position	U.S. / Donald Trump Stance
Iran Conflict	Confronting the Islamic Republic; joint strikes on nuclear facilities.	Systematically destroyed Iran militarily and financially; demands continuation under Bibi.
Gaza Ceasefire	Rejected August plan requiring withdrawal before Hamas disarmament.	Advanced ceasefire plans to halt fighting and reshape regional diplomacy.
Foreign Interventions	Billed close ties to the U.S. President as a core political selling point.	Broke tradition by endorsing foreign leaders, including past support via a pardon request to Israel's president.

Domestic Pressures, Settler Violence, and International Scrutiny

Netanyahu's government, characterized as the most nationalist and far-right in Israel's history with several senior officials who are settlers themselves, faces severe domestic criticism over security failures. Internationally, the administration faces heavy condemnation regarding the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

The election campaign has also been overshadowed by escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. During the sensitive olive harvest, militant Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and journalists, including a photographer with The Washington Post who spoke out from her hospital bed after being injured. The violence continued with subsequent attacks by militant settlers on European diplomats visiting a Christian village. While Netanyahu has blamed the violence on a small number of troublemakers, victims and international observers have criticized the official response, noting that the military often appears to protect settlers rather than the vulnerable populations they threaten.

Historical Precedent and International Endorsements

Trump has frequently broken with longstanding U.S. Tradition by endorsing candidates in foreign elections, claiming credit when they succeed. His global interventions include endorsements for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his unsuccessful bid for a fifth term, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and various leaders across Latin America. In November, Trump also wrote directly to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Netanyahu on ongoing corruption charges.

Netanyahu quickly responded to the latest endorsement on X, thanking Trump for his tremendous support and joint work, accompanied by a post featuring a video clip of the two leaders together. Likud party officials attached a 35-second video to the statement, highlighting past praises from the American leader. In a separate video message, Netanyahu warned the American public about nuclear threats, stating that under Trump and himself, gas prices would eventually drop following the elimination of the Iranian regime.

Next Steps

Israelis are set to head to the polls on 27 October for the country's first national elections since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. Because Israel's prime minister is chosen through coalition-building in parliament rather than by a direct popular vote, it remains unclear what direct impact Trump's endorsement will have on what polls project to be a fiercely contested, tight race that will determine whether Netanyahu retains power or is unseated by centrist rivals.