Former US President Donald Trump has publicly announced his "complete and total" endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the country's upcoming parliamentary elections on October 27. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump allegedly labeled Netanyahu a "Great Warrior Prime Minister" and praised his confrontational stance against Iran. However, recent opinion polls indicate that Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners currently fall significantly short of securing the 61 seats required to form a new government.

Trump purportedly claimed that if Israel chooses any leader other than Netanyahu, the United States would be left isolated in facing regional threats from Tehran—a responsibility he suggested the US regime is disinclined to shoulder alone. Netanyahu quickly expressed gratitude for the American intervention, declaring that they would "complete the mission." Conversely, Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's primary political challenger, pushed back against the foreign endorsement, firmly stating at a Tel Aviv event that Israel is a sovereign democracy where only the public decides its leadership.

The electoral landscape in Israel remains deeply fractured and controversial. Critics and opposition supporters hold Netanyahu's administration largely accountable for the severe intelligence and security failures preceding the October 7 attacks, as well as the devastating subsequent conflict in Gaza. Furthermore, Netanyahu's refusal to establish a fully empowered state commission of inquiry, ongoing disputes over ultra-Orthodox military conscription, and the soaring cost of living continue to polarize Israeli society ahead of the contentious ballot.

Source: www.dw.com