In a tight race, Trump endorses embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection

Late support for Netanyahu

Trump announced his support Sunday in a social media post, praising Netanyahu’s leadership and partnership. He described the prime minister as a strong ally in confronting Iran and working toward peace.

Netanyahu thanked Trump in a statement posted on X and said they would finish their shared mission. His Likud Party accompanied the statement with a 35-second video featuring the two leaders and clips of Trump praising him.

Netanyahu had presented his relationship with Trump as a reason voters should keep him in office. The U.S. president’s earlier reluctance to endorse him had been a setback for that campaign argument.

Election stakes remain uncertain

Israelis are scheduled to vote Oct. 27, in the country’s first national election since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The contest is expected to be close, and it is not clear whether Trump’s endorsement will change the result.

Trump retains popularity in Israel, but some Israelis have voiced disappointment with the outcome of the Iran war and his ceasefire proposal. They say the proposal did not meet many of the goals Israel and the United States had when they launched the war in February.

Trump’s message on Iran

Trump warned that the United States could soon resume efforts against Iran unless its government changed course quickly. He also suggested he might not want to take that step if Netanyahu lost, saying another Israeli leader could leave the United States to handle the matter alone.

The endorsement marks a shift from Trump’s more reserved remarks in recent months. In a Time magazine interview published this month, he said he was not involved in politics anymore when asked whether he would support Netanyahu, despite endorsing U.S. candidates.

Allies with disagreements

Trump has backed Netanyahu in earlier elections and, in November, asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon him on corruption charges. Their alliance appeared especially close after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2025.

Tensions emerged during this year’s nearly eight-month war with Iran. Trump criticized an Israeli attack on an Iranian gas field, called Netanyahu “crazy,” and said he was “a little bit perturbed” by fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon that was delaying peace talks.