--- title: "Trump Publicly Endorses Netanyahu Two Weeks Ahead of Israeli Elections" description: "Two weeks before the Israeli elections, Donald Trump announced on social media his \"full and unconditional support\" for Netanyahu, who had previously declared his exit from Israeli politics. Netanyahu thanked Trump, but the American leader's disappearance from campaign billboards points to friction in their relations." date: 2026-10-18T18:22:17.435Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-endorses-netanyahu-israeli-elections tags: [trump, netanyahu, israel-elections, likud, us-israel-relations] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump Publicly Endorses Netanyahu Two Weeks Ahead of Israeli Elections ![Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu standing in front of the Israeli flag](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/trump-podderhal-netanyahu-naperedodni-vyborov-v-izraile/trump-podderhal-netanyahu-naperedodni-vyborov-v-izraile-1.webp) ## Key Points - Trump stated on social media his "full and unconditional support" for Netanyahu two weeks before the October 27 elections. - Earlier in a Time interview, Trump stated he was no longer involved in Israeli politics, and on Newsmax he stopped short of directly endorsing the prime minister. - Trump suggested the war with Iran could resume if Tehran does not change behavior and announced a harsh ultimatum to his ally. - Netanyahu's campaign billboards reappeared without Trump, signaling potential friction despite social media support. Less than two weeks before the Israeli parliamentary elections, US President Donald Trump broke a months-long pause and openly sided with incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a social media post, the American leader called the Israeli prime minister a "great warrior prime minister" and declared his "full and unconditional support for Bibi Netanyahu." A move long awaited by Netanyahu's inner circle came against the backdrop of Trump previously publicly distancing himself from the Israeli election campaign. ### Refusal to Participate and Sudden Support Prior to Sunday's statement, Trump had consistently refrained from publicly endorsing the Israeli prime minister. Earlier in the month, in an interview with Time magazine, he stated that he was no longer involved in Israeli politics. On Thursday, speaking to Newsmax, the head of the White House stated that Netanyahu would like to see him involved in the election campaign, emphasizing that he has "very good relations" with the prime minister, though no direct endorsement of his candidacy was voiced at the time. When asked about trust, the US president replied: "I don't trust anybody in the world of politics." Thus, the public endorsement voiced on social media marked a noticeable pivot from his recent remarks. ### Netanyahu's Reaction and the Iran Issue The Israeli prime minister quickly responded to Trump's statement, thanking him for his "tremendous support and joint work." At the same time, the American leader outlined the foreign policy agenda in the same vein: according to him, the war with Iran could resume if Tehran does not change its behavior. It recently became known that Trump and Netanyahu disagreed on the course and prospects of the conflict with Iran, with the US president stating that he had issued a harsh ultimatum to his ally. These statements add context to the public endorsement: it coincided with a period of noticeable friction on a key foreign policy issue. ### Billboards Without Trump: A Signal of Tension The American leader's backing followed prolonged uncertainty and, according to observers, failed to completely conceal the tension periodically arising in relations between the two politicians. For many years ahead of elections, Israelis saw billboards along the country's highways featuring Netanyahu alongside Trump with the slogan "A Different League." However, less than two weeks before the vote scheduled for October 27, the prime minister's billboards reappeared, but this time without the American president. Trump still features in some campaign videos for the Likud party led by Netanyahu, but his absence from the billboards may indicate deeper problems in the relationship than a mere shift in advertising strategy. ### What This Means for the Campaign The combination of signals—from public support on social media to the refusal to participate in interviews and Trump's disappearance from billboards—paints a picture of a relationship where personal contact and political interdependence coexist with periods of cooling. For Likud's election campaign, Trump's statement remains a significant asset, but its effect may be limited by the fact that the US president had previously marked his distance. The outcome will become clear only after the October 27 vote, when it will be evident how much the American leader's backing translated into electoral support for the incumbent prime minister. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Трамп наконец поддержал Нетаньяху накануне выборов в Израиле](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tramp-vreshti-pidtrimav-netanyagu-naperedodni-1792343939.html) - Primary source: direct quotes from Trump on social media, Time and Newsmax interviews, Netanyahu's reaction, data on billboards and the October 27 election date. The sole source for the core storyline. - [Нетаньяху согласился с планом Трампа по Газе. ХАМАС изучает предложение](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20250929-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8C%D1%8F%D1%85%D1%83-%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%81%D1%8F-%D1%81-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0-%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%81-%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5) - Contextual source: confirms regular meetings between Trump and Netanyahu at the White House (September 29 meeting), but does not address public electoral support. ## FAQ ### What exactly did Trump say in support of Netanyahu? In a social media post, Trump called Netanyahu a "great warrior prime minister" and declared his "full and unconditional support for Bibi Netanyahu." ### When are the Israeli elections scheduled? Voting is scheduled for October 27, which was less than two weeks away at the time of Trump's statement. ### Did Trump support Netanyahu previously? Prior to Sunday's statement, he refrained from public support: in a Time interview he stated he was no longer involved in Israeli politics, and on Newsmax, noting "very good relations," he did not directly endorse the candidacy. ### Why did Trump disappear from Netanyahu's campaign billboards? According to observers, previous billboards with the slogan "A Different League" showed Netanyahu next to Trump, but before the elections the boards appeared without the US president, which may indicate friction in relations, although Trump remains in some Likud videos.