Trump Frustrated with Netanyahu, Avoids Public Endorsement Ahead of Israeli Elections

About two weeks ago, during a meeting in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his standing in the upcoming election polls. Netanyahu hesitated, and one of his advisors quickly claimed he was winning. However, according to a report by Barak Ravid on Channel 12 News, the White House is well aware that Netanyahu is not leading in the polls. This polling reality is a key reason Trump has refrained from giving Netanyahu the public support he desires, with only 75 days left until the elections.

Despite Trump's personal fondness for Netanyahu, he is deeply frustrated with the prime minister's policies and conduct. In private conversations, Trump has described Netanyahu as "his own worst enemy." Initially, Trump supported granting Netanyahu a pardon to end his criminal trial and was expected to back him in the elections. However, over the past three months, significant rifts have emerged between them, not only regarding Iran but also Lebanon and Gaza.

The latest source of White House frustration was Netanyahu's rejection of the peace council's plan to disarm Hamas, which Washington interpreted as election-year political maneuvering. A senior US official acknowledged understanding Netanyahu's political needs but emphasized the importance of him continuing to restrain attacks in Gaza. Following a phone call with US envoy Jared Kushner, Netanyahu promised to give the plan a chance and reduce military actions in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces subsequently withdrew to the "yellow line" to facilitate the disarmament process ahead of Kushner's upcoming visit.

This growing distance between Trump and Netanyahu is also evident in the president's public statements. Over the past month, Trump was asked four times if he supports Netanyahu and each time avoided a direct answer. He referred to Netanyahu as an excellent wartime leader only in the past tense and has not publicly addressed the idea of a pardon, despite discussing it privately.

Meanwhile, Trump's own standing among Israelis has declined recently due to the Iran deal and restrictions imposed on Israeli military operations in the region. Netanyahu's political rivals, including Gadi Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid, have expressed serious concerns about possible American interference favoring Netanyahu. Opposition figures have sent unofficial messages to Trump and his team, urging neutrality in the Israeli elections.

For the US administration, the Israeli elections are critical for advancing regional goals over the next two years, including peace plans for Gaza, arrangements with Lebanon and Syria, and especially mediating a historic normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia. The White House recalls the 2019 political crisis in Israel that stalled regional diplomacy for a year and a senior official stressed that the administration will not repeat past mistakes by allowing Israeli domestic politics to delay its regional agenda.