Vote for Bibi: Trump renews Netanyahu endorsement as Israeli PM faces electoral test

Donald Trump renewed his endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu before Israel's parliamentary election. The intervention adds an international dimension as Israeli voters weigh a closely contested mandate.

In Short

• Opinion polls indicate Likud and partners may miss a majority
• Axios reported Netanyahu sought support, but Likud denied the claim
• Eisenkot insisted only Israeli voters could choose their next leader

US President Donald Trump has renewed his endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary elections, urging Israelis to “vote for Bibi” as the long-serving leader faces a tough fight to retain power.

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump praised Netanyahu as an “outstanding Warrior Prime Minister” and highlighted their close ties and joint military campaign against Iran.

He also called on Israelis to support Netanyahu as the country prepares to elect a new Knesset on October 27.

Trump referred to US military operations against Iran, including Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, claiming that Tehran’s military and economy had been severely weakened.

“Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!” Trump wrote, reiterating his position that the US and Israel must prevent Iran from posing a nuclear threat.

The endorsement comes at a crucial point for Netanyahu, whose political future is at stake. Opinion polls ahead of the election have suggested that his Likud party and its coalition partners could struggle to secure a parliamentary majority.

NETANYAHU REPORTEDLY SOUGHT TRUMP’S SUPPORT

Trump had first endorsed Netanyahu on October 18, describing him as “strong, brave, and brilliant”. Netanyahu thanked the US president, saying the two leaders would complete their mission together.

According to an Axios report, Netanyahu had sought additional public support from Trump before the election. However, Neta Molcho, a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s Likud party, denied that the prime minister had requested the endorsement.

The renewed backing comes amid heightened Middle East tensions following joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

NETANYAHU’S RIVAL SAYS ISRAELIS WILL DECIDE

Netanyahu’s main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, pushed back against Trump’s earlier endorsement, saying the decision rested with Israeli voters.

“I admire” Trump, Eisenkot said at a conference in Tel Aviv, according to AFP, but added that “only Israelis can choose their leader”.

The October 27 election will be Israel’s first national vote since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces scrutiny over security failures surrounding the 2023 attack, alongside wider public discontent with his government.

The election will determine whether Netanyahu can remain in office or whether opposition parties can form a government.

With polls suggesting a potentially fragmented parliament, coalition negotiations could follow the vote.

Trump’s endorsement has added an international dimension to the campaign, but the final decision rests with Israeli voters.

- Ends