Netanyahu urges Trump for more elections support in “sign of desperation”: report

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressed US President Donald Trump in recent days for additional public support ahead of Tuesday’s closely contested ‘Israeli’ election, according to Axios.

A US source with knowledge of the matter and an ‘Israeli’ source briefed on the contacts told Axios that Netanyahu is fighting for political survival and has asked Trump to reinforce the endorsement he issued last Sunday on Truth Social.

The US source described the White House view of Netanyahu’s aggressive lobbying as a “sign of desperation” and an indication that the ‘Israeli’ leader believes he is trailing.

According to the US source, Netanyahu spoke with Trump twice in the past three days and urged him to double down on his earlier public backing.

Netanyahu reportedly even suggested specific language for further statements of support.

An ‘Israeli’ source added that the prime minister proposed Trump hold calls with ‘Israeli’ reporters to express additional endorsement.

Trump’s initial endorsement came after weeks of hesitation.

In his Truth Social post, he called Netanyahu “a Great Warrior Prime Minister” and “an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran,” warning that “if Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work [in Iran] ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.”

Trump gave Netanyahu his “Complete and Total Endorsement” and declared “BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

He later told Axios he had always planned to endorse but “just didn’t want to do it too soon,” citing their “good relationship.”

Final pre-election polls released Friday by three major Hebrew television networks projected Netanyahu’s bloc at just 50 seats in the 120-member Knesset—well short of the 61 needed for a majority and a sharp drop from the coalition’s current strength.

His Likud party was projected at around 20 seats.

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc was given 52 to 56 seats in those surveys, with additional seats for Arab parties.
A pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 poll earlier in the week was a notable outlier, showing stronger numbers for the prime minister’s camp.

One US official framed Trump’s endorsement as a potential win-win regardless of the outcome: if Netanyahu prevails or stays on as caretaker, Trump could claim credit for the political rescue and press for concessions; if Netanyahu loses, ‘Israel’s’ new leaders would still have strong incentives to maintain good relations with Washington.

Some of Trump’s advisers, however, see possible advantages for the US Middle East agenda in a government led by someone other than Netanyahu, according to Axios.

The unusual public intervention—the first time a US president has explicitly endorsed a candidate in an ‘Israeli’ election—comes amid a turbulent but long-standing relationship between the two leaders.