US President Donald Trump has endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27, praising him as a strong ally in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump offered his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of the longtime Israeli leader.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote. “BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Trump credited Netanyahu with being a key partner in the war against Iran launched jointly by the United States and Israel on February 28. He warned that if Israel chose any other leader, America would have to confront Iran alone.
“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” Trump said.
The endorsement comes nine days before the vote and follows earlier hesitation. Trump had declined to back Netanyahu when asked in recent interviews, amid reported differences over the conflict and other regional issues.
Trump later told Axios that the endorsement was never in doubt. “I was always going to do that. I just didn’t want to do it too soon,” he said. “It is important that Israel has a person they can count on.”
Netanyahu responded with a video message of thanks. “I’m so honoured and humbled by your extraordinary endorsement,” he said. “There’s never been a greater friend of Israel in the White House.”
Addressing American voters, Netanyahu linked the war to energy prices: “If you are worried about today’s gas prices, think of what will happen if Iran gets nuclear weapons, something that Donald Trump and I will never allow.”
Netanyahu’s Likud party and its coalition face a competitive race against an opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
