Full Endorsement on Truth Social

US President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election, nine days before Israel's election on October 27, 2026. The statement was posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday (10/18/2026), as reported by AFP.

"Bibi Netanyahu has shown steadfastness, courage, and intelligence amid extraordinary rejection, including from within Israel itself," Trump wrote. "May this letter serve as my full and complete endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in the upcoming election for Prime Minister of Israel."

A Reversal from Neutrality

The move reverses Trump's earlier position. In an early-October interview with TIME magazine, he said he was no longer involved in Israeli politics and refused to give an explicit endorsement, amid strained relations with Netanyahu over Gaza, Lebanon, and the war with Iran.

Netanyahu replied on X: "Thank you, President Trump, for your extraordinary support and our cooperation. Together, we will complete this mission!" His main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, said choosing Israel's leader is solely the right of Israeli citizens.

First Election Since October 7, 2023

The October 27, 2026 election will be Israel's first since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu faces a tight race to keep his position, with his popularity tested by the war with Iran — which began in late February — and the conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank.

According to Bloomberg, Trump's endorsement came after months of tension between the two leaders and reversed months of public doubt. An open endorsement by a US president of a candidate in another country's election is rare and is often viewed as a political intervention.