U.S. President Donald Trump tied his Sunday endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Iran war, saying Washington might have to finish the job if Israel chose anyone other than Netanyahu.
Trump's social media post called Netanyahu a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and a “Partner for Peace” in confronting Iran. He said he could “soon finish the job” against Iran unless it changed course rapidly. Trump added that a government led by someone other than Netanyahu could leave the United States to do the work, but said he was “not inclined” to do so.
Israel's Central Elections Committee lists Oct. 27 as the date for the 26th Knesset election. It will be the country's first national vote since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Netanyahu thanked Trump in a Hebrew-language statement posted to X, writing, “Together we will complete the mission!”
The Associated Press described Trump's endorsement as a potentially valuable lift for Netanyahu because Trump remains popular in Israel, but said its effect on an expected close race was uncertain. AP also reported that many Israelis, including prominent commentators, were disappointed by the Iran war's inconclusive outcome and Trump's proposed Gaza cease-fire, which the outlet said fell short of goals Israel and the United States had when they launched the war in February.
Trump and Netanyahu have disagreed over Iran and Gaza, AP reported. Trump criticized Israel's attack on an Iranian gas field early in the war, while Netanyahu rejected a U.S. cease-fire proposal in August that called for Israeli forces to withdraw from territory in Gaza before Hamas disarmed.
Trump had endorsed Netanyahu in previous elections and, last November, sent Israeli President Isaac Herzog a letter asking him to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges, AP reported. In a Time magazine interview published this month, Trump said he was “not involved in politics anymore,” despite campaigning for U.S. candidates. Netanyahu has separately presented a security doctrine and urged Israel to widen its partnerships, as EconoTimes previously reported. The election is scheduled for Oct. 27.
