Trump declines to directly endorse Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections — Anadolu Agency

US President Donald Trump declined to directly endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the elections scheduled for October 27. In an interview with TIME magazine, he said he was not involved in politics and instead wanted to help Israel with defense, Anadolu Agency reports.

Response on the elections

During the conversation, Trump was asked twice whether Netanyahu should receive another term as head of government. The US president did not give a direct answer regarding support for the Israeli prime minister. Instead, he spoke about his own popularity among Israelis, which he estimated at approximately 99%, linking it to his previous political decisions.

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Mention of Gadi Eisenkot

Trump was also asked whether the US authorities could cooperate more effectively with opposition representative and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. The American president said he had not heard anything bad about him, but cautioned against underestimating Netanyahu. According to him, the Israeli prime minister had been written off many times, just as Trump himself had been.

According to Anadolu Agency, relations between Trump and Netanyahu have become more strained in recent months due to the war in Iran and the continuation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.