Trump Stops Short of Endorsing Netanyahu Ahead of Israeli Election

U.S. President Donald Trump has stopped short of endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's upcoming general election, despite their long-standing political alliance. He also offered positive remarks about opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

Trump made the comments in an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday, ahead of Israel's parliamentary election scheduled for October 27.

Asked whether Netanyahu should return as prime minister, Trump declined to offer a direct endorsement, saying his primary objective is to ensure Israel's security.

"My main goal is to help defend Israel," Trump said, while adding that Netanyahu remains highly popular among many Israelis.

When asked whether the United States could work with opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot if he came to power, Trump said he had "not heard anything bad" about the former Israel Defense Forces chief.

At the same time, Trump cautioned against underestimating Netanyahu, noting that many political observers had predicted the Israeli leader's downfall in the past, only for him to stage repeated political comebacks.

Reports in recent months have suggested that Trump's relationship with Netanyahu has faced strains amid the ongoing war with Iran and Israel's continued military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

During the interview, Trump also addressed claims that Netanyahu had prior knowledge of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. He rejected those allegations, saying that if Netanyahu had known in advance, he would have acted to prevent the assault.

The U.S. president also discussed the conflict with Iran, saying the initial military plan had envisioned an operation lasting between four and eight weeks. However, he later decided to extend the campaign in order to further degrade Iran's military capabilities and nuclear infrastructure.

"I could have ended the operation much earlier," Trump said, adding that he did not believe doing so would have been the right decision.

Trump further claimed that Iran had temporarily succeeded in disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but said the United States later secured control of the strategically important waterway.

He also revealed that he had rejected an Iranian proposal for a ceasefire, saying the terms offered by Tehran were "not good enough."