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U.S. President Donald Trump declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for another term ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections, avoiding direct backing of his longtime ally in an interview published Thursday.
Asked by TIME magazine whether Netanyahu should be given another term in the Oct. 27 elections, Trump said, "Well, I can only say that I’m not involved in politics anymore, except that we’re popular—”
Pressed again, he replied: “No, my primary thing, I do want to help them defend Israel,” pivoting away from an explicit endorsement in the interview, which was conducted Monday.
Trump instead pointed to his personal standing among Israeli voters, claiming his popularity was “like 99%” because of past policies.
Asked whether Washington could work more effectively with opposition contender and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, Trump said he did not “hear bad things about him,” but cautioned against dismissing Netanyahu.
“People have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times,” Trump said, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “I wouldn’t underestimate Bibi.”
Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu is said to have become more strained in recent months because of the war in Iran and Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.
Trump also cast doubt on reports that Netanyahu had received advance intelligence warnings ahead of the Oct. 7 attacks, arguing that Israeli forces would have been placed on alert if such information had been known.
“I don’t think so. I think ... if he would have known, he would have done something about it,” Trump said.
Israel is scheduled to hold general elections on Oct. 27.
A poll published Wednesday projected the opposition bloc led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to win 54 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 50 for Netanyahu’s governing bloc.
The survey, published by Israeli Channel 12, showed Eisenkot’s Yashar party remaining the largest party in the projection with 23 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud was projected to win 20 seats if elections were held now.
Netanyahu has headed the current government since late December 2022.
He is facing corruption charges, while the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for him over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Addressing the Iran war, now in its seventh month, Trump said he deliberately broadened military operations to dismantle Tehran’s armed and nuclear infrastructure after initial estimates projected a four- to eight-week campaign.
“Only because I wanted to go further,” Trump said when asked why strikes continued beyond earlier targets. “I could have stopped there, and I felt it was just inappropriate.”
Trump acknowledged that Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz “worked for a little while” but claimed the United States later took control of the strategic waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil consumption flowed before the war began Feb. 28.
Trump also confirmed that he rejected an Iranian truce offer that proposed reopening the strait, saying the terms were “not good enough.”
Asked whether Washington planned to intensify airstrikes after the upcoming U.S. congressional midterm elections, Trump first said it was “possible” before adding: “I can’t tell you that.”
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