Netanyahu leveraged Trump's endorsement in his campaign for re-election
Facing Tuesday's national election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using U.S. President Trump's endorsement to argue that only his leadership can secure further U.S. action against Iran. Challenger Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, has praised Trump and said he would cooperate with the U.S. president if elected, suggesting a leadership change need not cause a rupture.
More context
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Netanyahu has cast Trump’s backing as a reason Israelis should keep him in office if they want further U.S. action against Iran, The Economic Times reported. The vote is Israel’s first national election since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, and the wars that followed in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Trump has called on Israelis to re-elect Netanyahu. The key uncertainty is whether Trump wants to resume a full-scale war or use military pressure to win concessions from Iran; the newspaper said Washington appears to have its own timetable. Netanyahu’s main challenger, former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, has praised Trump as a friend of Israel and said he would cooperate with him if elected, suggesting a change in leadership may not significantly disrupt security ties.
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Verifier’s note
The Economic Times reports that Netanyahu used Trump’s endorsement to argue that his leadership could secure further US action against Iran. CNN and The Times of Israel cover related pressure for action and Trump’s endorsement, but not the same combined claim.