Trump Urges Israelis to Re-elect Netanyahu Ahead of Vote

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israelis to re-elect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 parliamentary election, tying his endorsement to the countries’ military campaign against Iran. The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, and the election outcome remains unknown. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Netanyahu an “outstanding Warrior Prime Minister” and said the two leaders had a “great relationship in winning together.” He urged voters to back Netanyahu and said they had to “finish the job” against Iran, invoking the conflict as a reason to support the incumbent. Trump also asserted that U.S.-Israeli operations had severely weakened Iran, saying the country had lost its navy and air force and that its military and economy were in shambles. Those statements were Trump’s claims; the reports did not independently establish them. He also cited Iran’s longstanding threats against Israel and the United States. The endorsement comes as Netanyahu faces a close contest. Final pre-election polling described in reports showed no clear path to a majority: neither bloc was projected to secure the 61 of 120 Knesset seats needed to form a majority. One report characterized...