Tel Aviv: US President Donald Trump has made a stunning late intervention in Israel’s elections, endorsing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a move the veteran leader hopes could allow him to remain in office.
Netanyahu eagerly sought the official endorsement of his longtime ally while his rivals urged Trump to refrain from interfering in the contest, reflecting the belief that the president’s verdict could affect the election.
Trump’s once warm relationship with Netanyahu has appeared to cool since their war in Iran began to falter, raising doubts about whether he would endorse a candidate.
But, in an enthusiastic social media post peppered with capital letters and exclamation points, Trump delivered his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu, urging Israelis to support him when they vote on October 27.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in his post, uploaded in the early hours of Monday Australian time.
“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.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself. Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived!”
The US is Israel’s most important security partner, and Trump remains popular in Israel, despite the war in Iran failing to deliver a decisive blow against the regime in Tehran.
Trump did not meet Netanyahu during the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, triggering talks of a snub, but the longstanding close relationship between the two conservative leaders has overcome any friction.
Describing Trump as “my dear friend Donald”, Netanyahu responded in a video by effusively thanking him for his “extraordinary” endorsement and praising Trump as Israel’s best friend it has ever had in the White House.
The world, Israel and the Jewish people have been lucky to have a leader of “such clarity, consistency, conviction and courage” in the White House, Netanyahu said.
Trump has made a habit of endorsing world leaders running for election in his second stint in office, including Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Colombian conservative candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella.
The latest average of three main television polls by Israeli newspaper Haaretz shows the bloc of parties aligned with Netanyahu on 51 seats, the anti-Netanyahu Zionist bloc also on 51 seats and 18 seats unaligned to either bloc, suggesting an extremely tight result.
More to come
