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US President Donald Trump has thrown his “complete and total endorsement” behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election, as the longtime leader struggles to gain an edge amid political uncertainty and strained public support for Trump in Israel.
In a message addressed to the “Great People of Israel” on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump praised Netanyahu as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and an even greater partner for peace in confronting Iran. He credited the Israeli leader with standing alongside the United States in its military campaign against the Islamic Republic.
“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,” Trump wrote.
Trump described Netanyahu as “Strong, Brave, and Brilliant” despite facing tremendous opposition, including within Israel itself. He said he had watched Netanyahu navigate some of the most difficult moments of his political career and argued that the prime minister had emerged stronger under pressure.
“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,” Trump said.
TRUMP WARNS ISRAEL AGAINST CHOOSING 'WRONG LEADER'
Trump also warned that Israel could face greater responsibility for its security if it elected someone other than Netanyahu. He said the United States might have to take on the task of confronting Iran itself if Israel chose the “wrong Leader”.
“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.
The US president said Netanyahu had been a strong partner in confronting Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of maintaining a decades-old hostile stance towards Israel and the United States. Trump referred to Iran’s chant of “Death to Israel, Death to America!” and said the country had been systematically weakened militarily and financially.
He warned that unless Iran changed its course rapidly, the United States would “soon finish the job”.
Trump’s endorsement comes as the conflict with Iran enters its seventh month. The fighting has disrupted global energy markets and caused widespread damage across the Middle East, affecting critical infrastructure and destabilising regional economies.
WILL TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT HELP NETANYAHU?
Trump’s public backing does not guarantee an electoral advantage for Netanyahu or his right-wing Likud party. Public support for the US president has diminished in Israel amid disagreements between the Israeli and American governments over Iran.
Opinion polls have suggested that no candidate has a clear path to power. Israel does not elect its prime minister through a direct popular vote; instead, the government takes shape through coalition-building in parliament.
The October 27 election will be Israel’s first national vote since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which shook the country and plunged the Middle East into turmoil. Israel subsequently 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 loses to centrist rivals who have promised to usher in a new era.
Netanyahu responded promptly to Trump’s endorsement on X, thanking the US president and writing, “Together we will complete the mission!”
TRUMP’S HISTORY OF ENDORSING FOREIGN CANDIDATES
Trump has departed from the longstanding US tradition of avoiding public endorsements in elections in other countries. He has backed political candidates abroad, including in Hungary, Colombia, Argentina, Japan and Honduras.
His endorsement of Netanyahu adds another international election to that list, placing the US president’s support squarely behind his longtime ally as Israel prepares for a closely contested parliamentary vote.
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