Trump endorses Bibi for re-election, warns Israel against choosing 'wrong leader'

US President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election, backing his long-time ally nine days before Israel’s parliamentary election. The vote will be the country’s first national election since the 2023 Hamas attack.Ahead of the October 27 polls, Trump praised Netanyahu’s leadership and partnership with Washington, particularly in confronting Iran, as the Israeli leader seeks to retain power after years of regional conflict.In a lengthy post on Truth Social addressed to the people of Israel, Trump described Netanyahu as a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and “an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran”.“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote.He added, “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.”Making his support explicit, Trump wrote, “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 that a change in leadership could affect Washington’s role in confronting Tehran.“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, adding: “BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”The endorsement comes after Trump had earlier indicated that he would prefer to stay out of Israel’s election. In August, he said, “I think it’s most appropriate for me to stay out of Israeli elections, but I may endorse somebody."Israelis will vote on October 27 to elect the 120-member Knesset. According to the Times of Israel, the party system means that the leader who can assemble a coalition with sufficient parliamentary support is positioned to become prime minister; a majority generally requires 61 seats.Around 7.33 million Israelis are eligible to vote in the election, accounting for 71.15 per cent of the country’s population of 10.3 million.

In the 2022 election, 70.63 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots.Netanyahu, who leads the Likud party, faces a challenge from opposition parties, with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party among the key contenders, according to recent polling. The election is the first since the Hamas attack and the subsequent war in Gaza, which expanded into wider regional conflict involving Lebanon and Iran.