Published 22 minutes ago • loading... • Updated 22 minutes ago
Trump declines to endorse Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections
Trump said he would not back Netanyahu for another term and pointed to his own standing with Israelis instead.
In an interview with Time published Thursday, President Donald Trump refused to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for another term and said he doubts reports that Netanyahu received advance warnings from Egypt regarding the October 7 Hamas attack.
The comments arrive amid an internal Israeli dispute concerning claims that Egyptian officials, including Abbas Kamel, warned authorities about the Hamas attack. Netanyahu has denied receiving such intelligence and accused former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of failing to act on warning signs.
Defending the prime minister, Trump said, "I think if he would have known, he would have done something about it." When asked to endorse Netanyahu, Trump responded, "I can only say that I'm not involved in politics anymore."
Netanyahu responded on social media, stating, "President Trump is right." This public alignment occurs as the prime minister faces defamation litigation from Ronen Bar over the handling of security warnings prior to the assault.
Regarding opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot in the upcoming election, Trump said he had not heard anything bad about him but added that he "wouldn't underestimate Bibi," comparing the prime minister's political resiliency to his own career.