Trump says Netanyahu needs to be re-elected, or else US will have to 'finish the job’ against Iran alone

President Donald Trump has formally endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party ahead of the Oct. 27 Knesset elections, tying the vote to the ongoing multi-front conflict with Iran and its nuclear ambitions. In a Sunday message, Trump described Netanyahu as a "great warrior" and a U.S. partner for peace, and said the prime minister had grown stronger under pressure that would have broken others, according to Fox News.

Trump also issued a warning. If Israelis choose anyone but Netanyahu, he wrote, America would be left to handle the Iran effort by itself, something he said he is not inclined to do. He described the endorsement as complete and total and said Netanyahu would never let Israel down.

Netanyahu thanked Trump on X for the support and joint work, saying the two would complete the mission together.

The election will determine control of the 120-seat Knesset. Voters pick party lists, and parties that clear a 3.25% threshold receive proportional seats. Afterward, Israel's president consults party leaders and tasks a lawmaker, typically the one best placed to assemble a coalition, with forming a government. That person needs backing from at least 61 members.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →