President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late in his reelection campaign, a coveted boost because of Trump’s popularity but one that the American had withheld for months as the vote neared and the leaders' strategies in the Middle East diverged. Trump said in a post on social media that Netanyahu “has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combating the Islamic Republic of Iran”. Read moreHow Netanyahu survived the political fallout from the October 7 attacks Israelis are set to vote October 27, in the first national elections since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
The absence of an endorsement was a setback for the Likud politician, who had billed his tight ties to the Republican president as a selling point for staying in power. It was not immediately clear what impact the endorsement would have on what is expected to be a tight race. Trump is still popular in Israel, but many Israelis, including leading commentators, have expressed disappointment over the inconclusive outcome of the Iran war and Trump’s ceasefire proposal, which fell short of many of the countries’ key goals when they jointly launched the war in February.
In his post, Trump again threatened to “soon finish the job” against Iran “unless they change their ways, rapidly”, but added he might not want to if Netanyahu loses the election. He said Netanyahu had been “Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself.” The main election rival to Netanyahu responded to Trump's endorsement of the incumbent premier, saying "only Israelis can choose their leader". Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv ahead of upcoming elections, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot said he "admires" Trump, but "Israel is a democratic country: only Israelis can choose their leader". 'It's still unclear whether Netanyahu will pay for what happened during his time in office' To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: Le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu devant la Knesset, à Jérusalem, le 10 novembre 2025.
AP - Ariel Schalit Trump endorsed Netanyahu in past elections and in November he sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges. But Trump's comments about Netanyahu in recent months had been much more subdued, and he repeatedly demurred when asked if he would back the prime minister. The president, when asked in a Time magazine interview published this month about backing the Israeli leader, said, ”I’m not involved in politics anymore,” despite his campaigning for and endorsing US politicians.
Trump, especially in his second term, has sought to give his stamp of approval to candidates in foreign elections and claimed credit when they have been successful. He endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his unsuccessful bid for a fifth term, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and several Latin American leaders. Trump and Netanyahu have been close allies and seemed more aligned than ever in the wake of the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in 2025.
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