Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fighting for his political survival ahead of Tuesday’s elections, has in recent days appealed to Donald Trump to offer him clear, public backing for his election campaign. An American source indicated that the White House views Netanyahu’s persistent pressure as a “sign of desperation” and a signal that the Israeli leader believes he is falling behind his rivals.
Neta Molcho, a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s Likud party, denied that the prime minister had asked Trump to endorse his campaign “in recent days or prior to his endorsement statement.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment. In an interview with Newsmax two weeks ago, Trump said that people in Israel had asked him to intervene on Netanyahu’s behalf.
The American source said Netanyahu spoke with Trump twice in the last three days, asking him to amplify the support he had already expressed through his Truth Social post last week.
According to the source, Netanyahu even suggested specific language for additional statements of support. An Israeli source familiar with Netanyahu’s actions noted that the Israeli prime minister also proposed that Trump conduct interviews with Israeli journalists to further express his backing.
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday’s elections on Sunday, October 25, in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump: Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for prime minister
“When you go to the polls, remember that Bibi has been an incredible warrior prime minister!” the American president wrote, using Netanyahu’s well-known nickname.
In the same post, Trump called on Israelis to vote for him, adding: “Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for prime minister — we have to finish the job we started!”
Trump has never worked with any Israeli prime minister other than Netanyahu, and does not personally know any of the other candidates. The two have developed a close, though often turbulent, relationship.
An American official described the endorsement as a “win-win” situation for Trump, regardless of the election outcome.
If Netanyahu wins — or remains in power as a caretaker prime minister — Trump can claim credit for saving him politically and use that leverage to push for concessions.
If Netanyahu loses and his rivals form a government, Israel’s new leaders will have every reason to seek good relations with Trump. The support he extended to their opponent will quickly fade into the background.
Some of Trump’s advisers see an opportunity for his Middle East agenda should the Israeli government come under new leadership.
