US President Donald Trump has endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, as polls show neither the prime minister’s bloc nor his rivals securing a parliamentary majority.

US President Donald Trump endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, ahead of Israel’s closely fought parliamentary election on October 27, giving the veteran prime minister a boost in his bid for a new mandate.

The endorsement came less than two weeks before Israel’s first vote since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, which opposition politicians say Netanyahu bears personal responsibility for after allegedly ignoring warnings.

What Trump Said

“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, using a common nickname for the Israeli leader.

“This is the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel, a Country for which it has done so much. 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.”

Trump also warned against Israel electing “anyone other than Bibi.” He wrote that if voters chose one of Netanyahu’s rivals, “America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.” According to France 24, he repeated a threat to “soon finish the job” against Iran unless it changes its ways, but suggested he might not want to if Netanyahu loses.

Netanyahu’s Response

Netanyahu quickly thanked the US president. “Thank you, President Trump, for your tremendous support and for our work together. Together we will complete the mission!” he wrote on X.

In a video released by his Likud party, Netanyahu touted his close relationship with Trump, saying that together they had “crushed Iran” and that re-election would let him work with Trump to eliminate the Iranian threat “over the next two years, or even sooner.”

Trump joined Israel in an attack on Iran in late February but agreed to a ceasefire in April, in the face of widespread US public opposition to the war, which had sent oil prices spiralling. The two leaders’ relations have at times been strained over Iran: Netanyahu has said no diplomatic agreement is possible with Iran’s leadership, while Trump has sought a negotiated end to the months-long conflict. France 24 reported that many Israelis have expressed disappointment with Trump over the outcome of the Iran war and his ceasefire proposal, so the effect of the endorsement on voters is unclear.

Rivals React

Netanyahu’s main rival is Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centre-right Yashar party and a former military chief, who regularly accuses the prime minister of bearing personal responsibility for the October 7 attack.

Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv, Eisenkot said he “admires” Trump, “but Israel is a democratic country, only Israelis can choose their leaders.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Netanyahu was “driving America into another war.” He wrote on X: “Last time you wanted to ‘finish the job’, Iran emerged even stronger. Want to try your luck again? Be our guest. But be careful; we have unfinished jobs too.”

A Close Race

The election is seen as a referendum on Netanyahu, who turns 77 on October 21 and is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having served on and off for more than 19 years. He returned to power in December 2022, bringing in once-shunned ultra-nationalists, and quickly moved to rein in the judiciary, which is examining corruption charges against him.

About seven million Israelis are eligible to vote. Current polls show that neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor Eisenkot’s is in a position to win the 61 seats needed to control the 120-seat parliament and form a governing coalition.

The endorsement came a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned of a brewing “crisis” in the occupied West Bank, after an American photojournalist for The Washington Post was injured in an attack by Israeli settlers. “We’re very disturbed by those images and what we’re seeing,” Rubio told reporters on Saturday. Netanyahu’s office said it was investigating the circumstances of the attack.

With Israel increasingly isolated on the world stage, Trump’s support remains important to Netanyahu.