Trump endorses 'great warrior' Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election

US President Donald Trump has written a glowing endorsement of the Israeli prime minister just months after labelling him "crazy" and days after suggesting he does not trust him.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump urged Israelis to vote for Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party in their upcoming election, now just over a week away.

He labelled the Israeli prime minister a "Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace", pointing to the decision the pair took to launch their war against Iran on February 28.

Negotiations to end that conflict have been stalled for months, despite Mr Trump's repeated insistence Iran has been defeated.

"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," he wrote.

"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!"

He said Mr Netanyahu was the partner the US was "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," Mr Trump said.

Mr Netanyahu seized upon the endorsement, posting an image on social media showing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Iran's reclusive Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani along with the caption: "Israel's enemies want Netanyahu to lose."

It was accompanied by an image of the Israeli prime minister and Mr Trump, and the caption: "A friend of Israel wants Netanyahu to win."

Trump changes tune

In June, the US president unleashed an expletive-laden tirade against Mr Netanyahu as he effectively accused him of trying to undermine the prospects of a deal with Iran.

During a fiery phone call, after the Israeli prime minister ordered strikes on central Beirut against Iranian-backed Hezbollah, Mr Trump said Mr Netanyahu was "f***ing crazy" and said he would be in jail had it not been for his efforts to protect him.

Mr Netanyahu is subject to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes — something the US has condemned the court for pursuing, issuing sanctions against its officials in response.

The Israeli prime minister is also embroiled in a long-running corruption case at home, which is still before the local courts.

Mr Trump has previously urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon the prime minister, which he has to this point refused to do.

On Friday, during an interview with US network Newsmax, Mr Trump talked up the success of his relationship with Mr Netanyahu.

But when expressly asked whether he trusted the man, he replied: "I don't trust anybody in the world of politics."

Netanyahu vying for re-election

Mr Netanyahu is facing the challenge of his political life in the upcoming October 27 election, with polling suggesting his Likud party could be the second largest in the Israeli Knesset, behind challenger Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party.

However, he could retain the prime ministership after such a result, given the need for complicated coalition negotiations to establish a working majority and secure power.

The relationship between the US and Israel, and their leaders, has been a focus of campaigning during the election, with some of Mr Netanyahu's opponents accusing him of weakening the ties with Israel's closest ally.

Reports emerged earlier this month that the Trump administration had encouraged Israel to launch unilateral attacks against Iran, shattering the relative calm that had persisted for months, because the US president did not want to return to all-out war before the US midterm elections in November.

Mr Netanyahu is Israel's longest serving prime minister.