Trump Endorses Netanyahu Nine Days Before Israeli Election
publishers 37articles 43first reported 18 Oct, 07:20 UTCdeveloping since 18 Oct · 12 editionstop 25 #24
U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election on Sunday, nine days before Israel’s Oct. 27 vote, as polls indicated neither Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition was assured of a parliamentary majority.
“Please let this letter serve to represent my complete and total endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He praised Netanyahu as a strong partner in confronting Iran and warned that the United States might otherwise have to act alone against Tehran.
“If Israel has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” Trump wrote. He also said Iran had been weakened militarily and financially and that “unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job.”
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is seeking a seventh term. His principal challenger is Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief whose Yashar party leads an opposition alliance. Polling cited by Al Jazeera projected the opposition alliance at 52 seats and Netanyahu’s Likud-led coalition at 51 in the 120-member Knesset, leaving both short of the 61 seats required for a majority.
The endorsement followed earlier occasions when Trump stopped short of explicitly supporting Netanyahu. Earlier in October, he avoided answering whether Netanyahu deserved another term, and on Thursday said he did not trust “anybody” when asked whether he trusted the Israeli leader.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 37
- Source articles
- 43
- Given to the writer
- 8, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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