October 20, 2026
US President Donald Trump brought his political weight into the Israeli elections by declaring his explicit support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that choosing any alternative leadership would mean “choosing the wrong leader.”
In statements that reflect the amount of support directed to Netanyahu ahead of the election, Trump considered that the United States “has provided a lot to Israel,” noting that Netanyahu represents the model of the partner required to continue cooperation between the two countries.
The American President directly linked the results of the Israeli elections to the Iranian file, warning by saying: “If Netanyahu does not win the elections, we will have to carry out the mission against Iran ourselves, and I am not inclined to do that.”
For his part, Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to respond to the American position, thanking Trump for what he described as “tremendous support” and joint work, adding: “Together we will accomplish the mission.”
These developments place the alliance between Trump and Netanyahu at the heart of the Israeli electoral scene, which constitutes a shift in the nature of American support from merely praising the bilateral partnership to conditioning the outcome of the vote on strategic issues, most notably dealing with Iran and the future of relations between Washington and Tel Aviv.
