U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, 2026, calling him a brilliant partner ahead of Israel's tight October 27 election. The endorsement comes despite U.S. officials, including Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding Israel crack down on West Bank settler violence following an assault on American photojournalist Heidi Levine near Ramallah.
Trump endorses Netanyahu in Israeli election
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if Israeli voters elect anyone other than Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. would have to handle military strategy against Iran without Israel
- ▪Israeli opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot responded to Donald Trump's October 18, 2026 endorsement of Netanyahu's reelection bid by stating that only Israeli voters have the right to choose Israel's leader
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump issued a full endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, 2026, describing him as a brave leader and partner against Iran
Context and polling for Israel's election
- ▪Israel's legislative election is scheduled for October 27, 2026, marking the first national vote since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack
- ▪Polls by Haaretz show a tie in Israel's upcoming election, with Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and the anti-Netanyahu Zionist bloc each holding 51 predicted parliamentary seats
- ▪Approximately seven million Israeli citizens are eligible to vote in the October 27, 2026 election to determine control of the 120-seat parliament
Escalation of West Bank settler violence
- ▪European diplomats and a French mayor were attacked by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Taybeh on October 17, 2026
- ▪Yesh Din reported that 94 percent of Israeli police investigations into West Bank settler violence since 2005 ended without an indictment, with only 3 percent reaching convictions
- ▪U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly demanded that Israel crack down on West Bank settler violence in October 2026
- ▪Monitoring group Yesh Din documented at least 170 West Bank Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians between September 27, 2026 and mid-October 2026
Settler assault on American photojournalist
- ▪American photojournalist Heidi Levine suffered a broken rib, fractured vertebrae, and a severe finger injury during an assault by Israeli settlers on October 16, 2026 near Ramallah
- ▪U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the October 16, 2026 assault on American photojournalist Heidi Levine near Ramallah a despicable act of terror and demanded multi-year prison sentences for perpetrators
Stalled Middle East diplomacy
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump stated in 2026 that he was perturbed by Israel's fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, citing delays to peace talks with Iran
- ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Gaza ceasefire proposal in August 2026, opposing U.S. calls for Israeli troop withdrawal before Hamas is disarmed
2026 military campaign against Iran
- ▪The United States and Israel launched a joint military attack against Iran in late February 2026 before Donald Trump agreed to an April 2026 ceasefire amid public opposition
- ▪Donald Trump criticized Benjamin Netanyahu during their joint U.S.-Israeli 2026 military campaign against Iran, calling him crazy in June 2026 and objecting to an attack on an Iranian gas field
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