US President Donald Trump has endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election, throwing his support behind the longtime ally a week before a parliamentary vote that could determine his political future.
Trump praised Netanyahu as a “great warrior prime minister” and peace partner, crediting him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Reuters cited Trump writing on Truth Social.
“Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel,” he added, addressing the “Great People of Israel”.
Netanyahu thanked his “dear friend Donald” in a post on X, saying: “Together we will complete the mission!”
However, the endorsement may not translate into a decisive electoral advantage for Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party, with disagreements over the war against Iran straining relations and public support for Trump in Israel declining.
Israelis will vote on Oct 27, with opinion polls suggesting no candidate has a clear path to power. The prime minister is determined through coalition-building in parliament rather than a direct popular vote.
Tamar Hermann, a senior research fellow at the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem, said Trump’s late endorsement might help win back some wavering Netanyahu supporters but was unlikely to attract broad support.
The election will be Israel’s first since the Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza and contributed to wider regional conflict involving Lebanon and Iran.
The vote could determine whether Netanyahu remains in office after a turbulent period in Israeli history or is replaced by centrist rivals promising a political shift.
Trump’s backing also comes as the Iran war carries domestic political risks for the US president. The conflict, now in its seventh month, has disrupted global energy markets, damaged critical infrastructure and destabilised regional economies.
The war is unpopular among Americans ahead of the Nov 3 congressional elections, while support for Israel in the United States has also declined amid the conflict with Iran and Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
Both Trump and Netanyahu referred on Sunday to completing the mission in Iran.
Trump has also departed from longstanding US practice by endorsing candidates in several foreign elections, including in Hungary, Colombia, Argentina, Japan and Honduras. - October 19, 2026
