US President Donald Trump has stopped short of endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s upcoming election, despite their longstanding political alliance.
In an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday, October 1, Trump was asked whether Netanyahu should remain prime minister after the October 27 election. Rather than offering a direct endorsement, Trump said his main objective was to support Israel’s defence.
Trump nevertheless said Netanyahu remained highly popular among Israelis.
Asked about the possibility of working with opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, Trump said he had not heard anything negative about him.
At the same time, Trump cautioned against underestimating Netanyahu’s political resilience, noting that many people had previously considered his political career finished, only for him to recover repeatedly.
Relations between Trump and Netanyahu have reportedly faced some strain in recent months amid the war with Iran and Israel’s continuing military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.
During the interview, Trump also rejected claims that Netanyahu had prior knowledge of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Trump said that if Netanyahu had known about the attack beforehand, he would have taken action.
Trump also discussed the US military campaign against Iran. He said the initial plan had been for a four- to eight-week operation, but the campaign was later extended after Washington decided to destroy Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.
Trump said he could have ended the operation earlier but chose not to do so because he did not consider that appropriate.
He also claimed that Iran had managed to close the Strait of Hormuz temporarily but that the United States later took control of the strategically important waterway.
Trump further said Iran had proposed a ceasefire but that he rejected it because he considered its terms inadequate.
Israel is scheduled to hold its election on October 27, with Netanyahu seeking to retain his position amid a closely watched political contest.
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