Trump Endorses Netanyahu Nine Days Before Israeli Election

On October 18, 2026, US President Donald Trump posted a lengthy endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Truth Social, just nine days before Israel's general election on October 27. Trump praised Netanyahu as a 'Great Warrior Prime Minister' and invoked the Iranian threat, suggesting that electing an alternative leader could complicate future joint US–Israeli military action against Tehran. The endorsement marked a notable shift: Trump had for months declined to publicly back Netanyahu, telling Time magazine earlier in October that he was 'not involved in politics anymore.' Netanyahu welcomed the support on X, writing 'Together we will complete the mission!' Al Jazeera and other outlets noted that Trump's post raised questions about whether the US and Israel were co-ordinating plans for a further strike on Iran. Polls show Netanyahu's Likud-led coalition falling short of the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a government, making Trump's high-profile endorsement a potentially significant factor in a tight race. The election is Israel's first national vote since Hamas's October 2023 attack and the subsequent Gaza war.