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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days to voice further public support for his re-election campaign, according to an American source familiar with the details and a second, Israeli source briefed on the matter, Israel’s N12 news reported Sunday.
The American source said officials in the White House view Netanyahu’s intensive lobbying as “a sign of desperation,” and as an indication that he believes he is trailing ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Netanyahu’s Likud party denied the report, saying he had asked Trump for nothing, “not now and not the first time.” The prime minister’s office declined to comment.
The American source said Netanyahu spoke with Trump twice over the past three days and asked him to reinforce the endorsement he had posted on his Truth Social platform ahead of the Oct. 27 election. Netanyahu also suggested wording for additional statements of support, the source said.
The Israeli source, who was briefed on the pressure campaign, said the prime minister proposed that Trump hold phone calls with Israeli journalists to express further backing for him.
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Trump publicly backed Netanyahu a week ago after weeks of hesitation. He also hinted that a Netanyahu defeat would have consequences for relations between the United States and Israel.
Trump has never worked with another Israeli prime minister, and he does not know any of the other candidates personally. The two men have built a close relationship over the years, though at times a stormy one.
One senior American official described the show of support as a move that would benefit Trump whatever the outcome.
If Netanyahu wins, or remains in office as a caretaker prime minister, Trump could claim credit for rescuing him politically and use that leverage to press him for concessions. If Netanyahu loses and his rivals form a government, the new Israeli leaders would have a clear interest in cultivating good ties with Trump, and his endorsement of their opponent would quickly become a footnote.
Some of Trump’s advisers, however, see an opportunity to advance his Middle East agenda through an Israeli government led by someone other than Netanyahu, the report said.
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