Netanyahu asks Trump for new statements of support ahead of elections — Jerusalem Post
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two days before the elections, has stepped up efforts to obtain additional public statements of support from U.S. President Donald Trump. The Jerusalem Post reports this, citing two American sources.
According to the publication's sources, Netanyahu and several of his supporters from Trump's inner circle are actively pressuring the U.S. president in an effort to give his support additional political momentum at the end of the campaign. Sources familiar with sentiment in Israeli society described these efforts as a sign of the prime minister's political desperation.
Talks with Trump
Axios previously reported that Netanyahu spoke with Trump twice over three days and asked him to make new statements in his support. According to the outlet, the Israeli prime minister also suggested possible wording for such statements and the idea of Trump speaking with Israeli journalists.
Last week, Trump posted a statement on Truth Social expressing full support for Netanyahu, calling him a great warrior prime minister and an important partner in the confrontation with Iran. The U.S. president also suggested that the election of another leader could affect Israel's relations with the United States.
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State Department's position
At the same time, a senior U.S. State Department official told the Jerusalem Post that the U.S. administration maintains contacts with a broad range of Israeli interlocutors and expects to continue close cooperation with the government that will be formed after the elections. Normalizing Israel's relations with neighboring countries, he said, remains an administration priority.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said last week that he does not intend to support Netanyahu or interfere in the Israeli elections. Some of Trump's advisers, the Jerusalem Post writes, believe that a different government in Israel could facilitate the advancement of Washington's diplomatic goals in the Middle East.
According to polls cited by the publication, Gadi Eisenkot may receive an average of 23 seats, while Likud is projected to win 20 seats in the Knesset. Likud currently has 32 seats.
