WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday for the upcoming Israeli parliamentary election.
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“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. 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.”
Israel will hold a national election on October 27, its first vote since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023 that shook the country and plunged the Middle East into turmoil, as Israel went to war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
The election will determine whether Netanyahu remains in power after one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history, or is defeated by centrist rivals promising to usher in a new era.
It is not typical for U.S. presidents to make explicit endorsements in foreign elections, but Trump has done so on a number of occasions.