Trump endorses Netanyahu late in Israel's election campaign after months of withholding his public support

What happened

President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection on Sunday in a social media post, according to the Associated Press, as published by PBS NewsHour. Trump wrote that Netanyahu "has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The AP described the endorsement as a coveted boost because of Trump's popularity, but one he had held back for months while the two leaders' Middle East strategies diverged. CBS News reported that the post appeared on Truth Social. Israelis vote Oct. 27 in the first national elections since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

How Netanyahu and his party responded

Netanyahu thanked Trump in a Hebrew-language statement posted on X, both outlets reported. His Likud Party attached a 35-second video with clips of the two leaders together and Trump praising the prime minister.

A message aimed at Americans

In a separate video, Netanyahu said he was "honored and humbled" by the endorsement, CBS News reported. He also spoke to Americans about the importance of keeping a nuclear weapon away from Iran and tied that issue to gas prices, saying prices would fall "only under Trump."

Why the endorsement had been in doubt

The AP reported that the lack of an endorsement had been a setback for Netanyahu, who had presented his close ties to Trump as a reason to keep him in office. In a Time magazine interview published this month, Trump said, "I'm not involved in politics anymore," when asked about backing Netanyahu, even though he has campaigned for and endorsed U.S. politicians.

Disagreements during the Iran war

The two leaders appeared closely aligned after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in 2025, but they have disagreed during the nearly eight-month war with Iran this year, both outlets reported. According to the AP, Trump criticized Israel's attack on a key Iranian gas field early in the war and called Netanyahu "crazy" in June. Trump also said he was "a little bit perturbed" that Israel's fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran.

Friction over Gaza

In August, Netanyahu rejected Trump's latest plan to move forward a stalled Gaza ceasefire, the AP reported. He pushed back on the administration's call for Israel to withdraw from territory it controls in Gaza until Hamas has been disarmed.

Trump's warning on Iran

In his post, Trump again threatened to "soon finish the job" against Iran "unless they change their ways, rapidly," both outlets reported. He suggested he might not do so if Netanyahu loses, writing that "America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so."

A pattern of foreign endorsements

The AP noted that Trump, especially in his second term, has endorsed candidates in foreign elections and claimed credit when they win. He backed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in an unsuccessful bid for a fifth term, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and several Latin American leaders. Trump endorsed Netanyahu in past elections, and in November he sent a letter asking Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges.

The political picture in Israel

Both outlets said it was not immediately clear how the endorsement would affect what is expected to be a tight race. Trump remains popular in Israel, but many Israelis, including leading commentators, have voiced disappointment over the inconclusive outcome of the Iran war and Trump's ceasefire proposal. CBS News reported that Netanyahu's government faces domestic criticism over security failures and international criticism over the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. For more coverage of events beyond the valley, see our national news section.

What to watch next

• Israelis vote on Oct. 27 in a race both outlets describe as expected to be tight.
• Whether Trump's endorsement changes the outcome, which both outlets said was not immediately clear.
• Trump's threat to "soon finish the job" against Iran, which he tied in part to who leads Israel.
• The stalled Gaza ceasefire, after Netanyahu rejected Trump's latest plan in August.