US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of next week’s parliamentary election, as the longtime leader struggles to secure a path to another term in office.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump praised Netanyahu as a “great warrior prime minister” and a partner in peace, crediting him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February.
The conflict, now in its seventh month, has disrupted global energy markets, damaged critical infrastructure and destabilised economies across the Middle East.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote.
He said Netanyahu had grown stronger despite facing intense pressure and formally endorsed him for re-election.
“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 said.
Netanyahu thanked his “dear friend Donald” in a post on X, adding: “Together we will complete the mission!”
However, Trump’s endorsement is not guaranteed to boost Netanyahu or his right-wing Likud party ahead of the October 27 election, with public support for the US president in Israel having declined amid disagreements over Iran.
Opinion polls suggest no candidate has a clear path to power. Israel’s prime minister is selected through coalition-building in parliament rather than a direct popular vote.
The election will be Israel’s first since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza and contributed to wider regional conflicts involving Lebanon and Iran.
The outcome could determine whether Netanyahu remains in power following one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history or is replaced by centrist rivals promising a new political direction.
Trump has broken with longstanding US tradition by endorsing candidates in foreign elections, including in Hungary, Colombia, Argentina, Japan and Honduras.
Endorsement Could Help Netanyahu
Trump and Netanyahu have maintained a close but sometimes strained relationship, with the US president previously criticising the Israeli leader both publicly and privately.
The war against Iran is unpopular among Americans, who will vote in congressional elections on November 3. Support for Israel among Americans has also declined amid the conflict with Iran and Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
Both leaders referred to finishing the mission in Iran on Sunday.
Tamar Hermann, a senior research fellow at the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem, said Trump’s endorsement could help win back some wavering Netanyahu supporters, although it was unlikely to attract widespread backing.
Most Israelis, including some critics of Netanyahu and his government, have broadly supported the war against Iran.
Aaron David Miller, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said the endorsement could make a difference in a closely contested election.
“In an election this close, it couldn’t hurt him, and it might help,” Miller said.
Polls indicate that Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition could lose its parliamentary majority, although opposition parties may also struggle to form a government. The deadlock could leave Netanyahu serving as caretaker prime minister until another election is held.
Miller said Trump had previously passed up opportunities to endorse Netanyahu, possibly to retain leverage over issues such as Gaza and Lebanon.
Ultimately, he suggested, Trump had chosen to back a leader he viewed as strong and unfairly targeted.
“However angry Trump may be at Netanyahu for pushing this Iran war, this in the end was a Trump decision,” Miller said.
He added that withholding an endorsement could have raised questions about whether Trump’s decision to enter the conflict with Iran had been justified.
