President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just nine days before the elections scheduled for October 27. According to Axios on October 18, Trump praised Netanyahu as a "great warrior and prime minister" and a "wonderful partner" in the fight against Iran in a post on social media platform Truth Social.
He added, "Iran has been militarily and financially destroyed, and if they do not change their position, we can soon end this operation (war)." Trump emphasized that if Israel were to have a different, less capable leader than Netanyahu, the United States would have to take action directly. He stated, "I fully support Netanyahu in the upcoming election, and he will not disappoint you."
Axios noted that this is the first time a sitting U.S. president has publicly endorsed a candidate in an Israeli election. The outlet also mentioned that Trump's support could significantly bolster Netanyahu, who is projected to struggle to secure the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority according to most polls.
The Jerusalem Post pointed out that Trump's announcement marks a shift from his previous stance of not endorsing specific candidates. Earlier, on October 13, during a meeting with reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Trump had said he had not considered endorsing anyone in the Israeli elections.
Following Trump's endorsement, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), referring to Trump as "my friend Donald" and thanking him for his support. Netanyahu emphasized, "The White House is Israel's greatest friend, and we will ensure that the Iranian regime does not acquire nuclear weapons."
However, some White House aides voiced concerns regarding Trump's public endorsement. The Jerusalem Post cited two sources familiar with the matter who reported that Trump's advisors and close associates expressed unease about the situation.
Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot, a leading candidate from the opposition Yesh Atid party, acknowledged Trump's support during a lecture at Tel Aviv University, stating, "I am very grateful to the U.S. president," but added, "Israel is a democracy, and the Israeli people will choose the next prime minister." Eisenkot later told Channel 12 in an interview, "I don't want to go into details, but there have been several meetings, and I requested that the U.S. not interfere in Israel's internal elections."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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