According to Reuters report on October 26, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been vigorously promoting the endorsement of U.S. President Trump on the eve of parliamentary elections. He also hinted that if he wins the election, both parties may restart the war against Iran.
Previously, Trump posted another tweet, calling on Israeli voters to support Netanyahu's re-election as prime minister, and said, "We must complete the cause that has been begun."
Nathaniel Bennett said on October 25: "Trump brought a kind of friendship between the Israeli Prime Minister and the U.S. President, which is unprecedented. It’s unlikely we will have another president who is so friendly in the future. He still has two years in office, and he said he called on everyone to vote for me."
Netanyahu said that Trump is willing to take actions to "ultimately eliminate the threat from Iran," but only if Netanyahu himself continues to hold power. "And I have already instructed Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces to overthrow this regime, as this is the only way to end this threat."
When asked to comment on Netanyahu’s remarks, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Celis said, “As President Trump said, Iran is in a very poor state, both economically and militarily. The blockade will continue indefinitely, and oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz in record numbers.”
Kelly added that "Before midterm elections, the United States will not launch an attack on Iran."
On October 18th, Trump issued a public letter to support Netanyahu, and on October 25th, he posted another message on social media to reaffirm his support.
Later on the evening of the 26th, a reporter asked Trump whether Netanyahu had asked him to appear on stage for a second time. Trump said, “I never said that.”
Trump said, “Both endorsements were issued by me. I believe that under very difficult conditions, he did an excellent job as prime minister.”
Nahum Bennett’s main opponent, Gadi Eshkol, also posted on social media, praising Trump as “Israel’s true friend”.
Aisencott said, “I respect his efforts and his commitment to Israel’s security. I am confident that, no matter who the leader is chosen by the people, he will cooperate fully with them.”
The vote on October 27th was Israel's first parliamentary election since a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts broke out on October 7th, 2023.
On the 26th, Netanyahu released an AI-generated video. In the video, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was lying in a hospital bed, said that if given a vote, he would ‘definitely not vote for Bibi (Netanyahu). If he is re-elected, I might visit my father sooner than expected.’
On the 25th, Netanyahu released a photo showing a mushroom cloud above Tel Aviv. He claimed that Israel is facing a survival threat from Iran.
Aisencott responded by saying that it “relies on campaigning that creates panic, lies, and threats—including images of nuclear bombs in the center of Tel Aviv. This time, it won’t work.”
