President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, providing a long-delayed boost ahead of the Oct. 27 vote.
President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, backing the long-serving leader late in his campaign after withholding support for months.
In a social media statement reported by PBS NewsHour, Trump described Netanyahu as “a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Trump also wrote that Netanyahu had shown strength and courage against heavy resistance, including internal opposition within Israel.
Netanyahu quickly welcomed the backing. Posting on X in Hebrew, the prime minister thanked Trump for the support and the work they had done together, writing, “Together we will complete the mission!” His Likud Party paired the statement with a 35-second video that featured footage of the two leaders and Trump offering praise for the Israeli premier.
Why the endorsement matters
The endorsement provides a major lift that Netanyahu had sought as a central argument for keeping his job, having long pointed to his relationship with the American president as a primary asset. Trump remains popular with Israeli voters, but it was not immediately clear how much the endorsement would sway the outcome of what is projected to be a close contest.
Netanyahu heads the most nationalist and far-right coalition in the country’s history, as CBS News noted. His administration has faced domestic backlash over security failures along with international scrutiny over how it treats Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, where some high-ranking members of his government are settlers themselves.
At the same time, many Israelis and prominent analysts have voiced dissatisfaction over the inconclusive results of the war with Iran. Both countries began joint military action in February, but the subsequent ceasefire framework proposed by Trump failed to deliver several of their central goals.
Trump also tied his future military policy directly to the election result. In his post, he warned that he would finish the job against Iran soon if Tehran did not quickly alter its behavior, but cautioned that he might step back if voters picked someone else. Trump stated that if Israel elects anyone other than Netanyahu, the United States would have to handle that task alone, adding that he was not inclined to do so.
Friction between the two leaders
Sunday’s announcement marked a shift after months during which Trump avoided taking a public stance on the Israeli contest. While Trump backed Netanyahu in earlier campaigns and sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog in November asking him to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges, his remarks had grown noticeably cooler in recent months.
When questioned about the Israeli election in a Time magazine interview published earlier in the month, Trump claimed he was not involved in politics anymore, even while actively campaigning for domestic candidates in the United States. During his second term, Trump has also endorsed multiple foreign politicians, including Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, several Latin American officials, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in an unsuccessful campaign for a fifth term.
Relations between Trump and Netanyahu appeared closely aligned following joint strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in 2025. Disagreements surfaced, however, throughout the nearly eight-month war with Iran. Trump questioned Israel’s decision to strike a major Iranian gas installation during the opening weeks of the conflict. By June, Trump referred to Netanyahu as crazy, and he later remarked that he felt perturbed because Israeli fighting against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was impeding diplomatic discussions with Iran.
Disputes extended beyond Iran as well. In August, Netanyahu dismissed Trump’s plan to revive a halted ceasefire in Gaza, rejecting Washington’s request for Israeli troops to pull back from Gaza territory under their control until Hamas was disarmed.
What happens next
Israeli voters head to the polls on Oct. 27 to cast their ballots in a tightly contested national election.
The vote will serve as the country’s first national election since Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel, determining whether Netanyahu retains power or is replaced by a rival coalition.
