Trump urges ‘Israelis’ to re-elect Netanyahu

• Trump repeats his Oct. 18 endorsement, linking the ‘Israeli’ prime minister’s re-election to the campaign against Iran.
• The renewed backing comes as polls indicate Netanyahu’s coalition could fall short of a parliamentary majority.

US President Donald Trump has renewed Sunday his endorsement of ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of ‘Israel's’ Oct. 27 parliamentary election, urging voters to keep him in office and saying that the two leaders must “finish the job” against Iran.

In a Truth Social post. Trump re-shared the endorsement he issued a week earlier, when he offered Netanyahu his “complete and total endorsement” and described him as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister.” Trump’s latest message again tied Netanyahu’s leadership to their military campaign against Iran. 

“Bibi and I have had a great relationship in winning together,” Trump wrote, citing US military operations in Venezuela and Iran as examples of their cooperation.

Trump referred to Operation Midnight Hammer, the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-’Israeli’ military campaign against Iran launched on February 28. He claimed the operations had left Iran without a navy or air force and its military and economy “in shambles,” adding that the country’s inflation rate had reached 301%.

Addressing ‘Israeli’ voters directly, Trump urged them to consider Netanyahu’s record when casting their ballots, calling him an “outstanding Warrior Prime Minister.”

The president also invoked the slogans “Death to America, Death to Israel,” describing the US-’Israeli’ alliance as central to confronting Iran. “Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!” he wrote.

Election overshadowed by war and political uncertainty

Trump’s renewed endorsement comes as Netanyahu faces a closely contested election, with pre-election polling indicating that his coalition could struggle to secure the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. The vote is the first ‘Israeli’ national election since Oct. 7, 2023 and follows years of conflict across Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. 

 The endorsement followed months in which Trump had refrained from backing Netanyahu, amid reported differences over Iran and Gaza. Trump had previously questioned whether he would endorse a candidate, making his public support shortly before the election a departure from his earlier position. 

Netanyahu welcomed Trump’s initial endorsement, thanking the US president and saying the two countries would “complete the mission.” His political opponents, meanwhile, maintained that ‘Israel’s’ leadership should be decided by ‘Israeli' voters. 

With the election approaching, Trump’s latest message reinforces his effort to make the US-’Israeli’ military partnership and the confrontation with Iran central issues in Netanyahu’s campaign.