Netanyahu thanks Trump for endorsement as opposition weighs its response

Update, 19 October, 00:08 Israel time

Netanyahu has now thanked Trump directly, and Trump has reposted that reply. The Times of Israel reported that in an English-language video on X, the prime minister praised Trump's "clarity, consistency, conviction, and courage" and addressed American voters ahead of the US midterms, linking gas prices to the threat of a nuclear Iran and saying prices would fall once the Iranian regime is gone. News.co.il reported that Trump then shared Netanyahu's response online. Political commentator Amit Segal wrote that a Likud campaign video released soon after the endorsement had been prepared in advance and timed in coordination.

On the opposition side, the Kan public broadcaster reported, via The Times of Israel, that an unnamed official from an opposing party believes the endorsement was compensation after Trump declined to resume strikes on Iran. Kan said the move surprised the opposition bloc, which is debating whether to avoid the subject or accuse Netanyahu of trading away security for it. Segal reported that opposition leader Yair Lapid said he had asked the Americans on his own initiative not to intervene in Israel's election.

Barak Ravid of Axios wrote that, while hoping he was wrong, the statement was hard not to read as implying Netanyahu had promised another joint operation against Iran; Netanyahu's camp has not been reported responding to that reading. Ravid separately argued the endorsement is unlikely to shift the hardened blocs. Ynet reported criticism from US Democrats, and noted that two days earlier Trump had said he did not trust anyone when asked about Netanyahu.

Update, 18 October, 22:07 Israel time

Netanyahu's camp has now responded to the endorsement, and new reporting shows it came days after Trump said he had not considered backing anyone. The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu and his allies publicly showcased Trump's backing, while his rivals said they respected the US president but that the choice of leader belonged to Israelis.

According to the same report, the post appeared on Trump's Truth Social platform and included the line, in capitals, "BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" The Times of Israel also noted that on Thursday Trump had said he had not "even thought about" endorsing a candidate in the Israeli race, at a time when he and Netanyahu had been at odds in recent months over US efforts to bring the war in Iran to an end. The outlet described Trump as having long set aside the convention that US presidents stay out of allies' elections, pointing out that he has endorsed candidates in a number of other countries.

Barak Ravid of Axios wrote that this is the first time in the history of relations between the two countries that a sitting US president has openly and explicitly backed a candidate in an Israeli election. Ravid also published the English text of the post's opening, which matches the Hebrew translations already quoted on this page.

The story as first reported

US President Donald Trump publicly backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday in Israel's coming general election, telling Israeli voters that any other candidate would be the wrong choice. Israel Hayom reported that Trump offered his "complete and total endorsement" nine days before the Oct. 27 election for the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

The message, which political commentator Amit Segal reported was posted on Trump's own social media network, tied the endorsement directly to Iran. According to Israel Hayom, Trump wrote that "anyone other than Bibi" would be the wrong leader, and that in that case the United States would need to take on the task itself, something he said he had no inclination to do. Haaretz also described the endorsement as citing the war with Iran.

What the statement said

Hebrew translations of the post were circulated by Segal and by the Telegram news channel Abu Ali Express. In them, Trump addresses the people of Israel directly, describing Netanyahu as a distinguished wartime prime minister and an even greater partner for peace in the confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The text refers to a slogan of "Death to Israel, death to America" that, in Trump's account, Iran has voiced for 51 years.

According to the translation Segal published, Trump argued that no country can survive when such threats are allowed to stand, and that it was only a question of time before Iran tried to act on them. He then said Iran had been systematically destroyed, both militarily and economically. The Jerusalem Post framed the central message as a warning that the United States could face Iran on its own if Netanyahu loses.

"Bibi" is the nickname by which Netanyahu is widely known in Israel and abroad. Trump used it in the statement as quoted in the reports.

A foreign leader in an Israeli campaign

Ynet characterised the post as the first time Trump has intervened in the campaign on Netanyahu's behalf. The Hebrew news site also noted that, historically, Trump's support has not guaranteed electoral success, though the material available does not detail which earlier contests it had in mind.

Israel elects its parliament through national party lists rather than by directly choosing a prime minister. The head of government is usually the party leader best able to assemble a majority coalition after the vote, which means an endorsement aimed at one candidate is in practice aimed at his party and its potential partners. The Israeli channel News.co.il placed the statement against the backdrop of the campaign and of diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and Washington.

The opposition's response

Ynet reported a response from Eisenkot, a figure on the opposition side of the race, who said it is the citizens of Israel who will decide the outcome, and that the United States will know how to work with any government. No other political reaction appears in the reports reviewed for this article.

How the reports differ

The outlets agree on the core facts: Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday, he did so ahead of an election set for next week, and he linked his support to Iran. They differ mainly in emphasis. Israel Hayom and Haaretz led with the line about anyone other than Netanyahu being the wrong leader; The Jerusalem Post led with the warning about America confronting Iran alone; Ynet stressed that this was Trump's first such intervention and that his backing has a mixed record. The Hebrew versions of the statement from Segal and Abu Ali Express are translations and differ slightly in wording, so the short English quotations in this article are taken from Israel Hayom and Haaretz.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports reviewed includes a response from Netanyahu or his Likud party to the endorsement. They do not say whether the Israeli government was consulted or informed before the post went out, nor whether the White House issued any further explanation. The reports do not specify what Trump meant by America having to "do this work" in Iran, or what action he was ruling out. Apart from Eisenkot, no reaction from other candidates or parties is reported, and there is no indication in the material of how, or whether, the endorsement might affect voting intentions. The full text of the post was not available in English in the material, and the excerpts cut off before its conclusion.