Trump’s Support for Netanyahu Wanes Amid Election and Policy Frustrations

In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has shown growing frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signaling a potential end to his public support ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections. During a private Oval Office meeting two weeks ago, Trump questioned Netanyahu about his standing in the polls, to which an aide responded that Netanyahu was winning, despite most polls indicating otherwise. Trump and his advisors are aware of Netanyahu’s declining popularity and have refrained from publicly endorsing him, despite repeated media inquiries.

The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has cooled over the past three months, particularly due to diverging interests on Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza policies. Trump reportedly views Netanyahu as "his own worst enemy," expressing frustration over the prime minister’s decisions, especially after Netanyahu rejected a peace council plan to disarm Hamas. White House officials interpret Netanyahu’s statements as election-driven political rhetoric rather than firm policy, but they emphasize the importance of Israel restraining military actions in Gaza to allow peace efforts to proceed.

Netanyahu recently assured Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner that he would reduce attacks in Gaza and give the peace plan a chance, leading to a significant decrease in Israeli strikes and a military pullback to agreed positions. Kushner is scheduled to visit Israel next week to discuss the Gaza plan with Netanyahu and other officials. Meanwhile, opposition leaders like Gadi Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid have privately urged the White House to maintain neutrality in the Israeli elections, fearing Trump’s support for Netanyahu.

Trump’s popularity in Israel has declined over the past three months due to his Iran deal and restrictions on Israeli military operations in the region. Although he has praised Netanyahu as an "excellent wartime prime minister" in recent interviews, he speaks of him in the past tense and avoids publicly endorsing him. Behind closed doors, Trump has revisited the idea of pardoning Netanyahu, but no public statements have been made on this front for months.

The upcoming Israeli elections are critical for Trump’s Middle East agenda during his remaining two years in office, especially amid the ongoing Iran conflict and efforts to advance peace deals involving Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. The White House is determined not to repeat past mistakes that allowed Israeli domestic politics to stall US diplomatic initiatives in the region.