US President Donald Trump has urged Israelis to vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming election, citing their joint war against Iran as evidence of their partnership.
“When you go to the polls, please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform using Netanyahu’s nickname.
Trump’s endorsement comes as Netanyahu faces a challenge from former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, who has promised to unite Israelis and restore public confidence in the country’s leadership.
Eisenkot held his final major campaign rally on Sunday, pledging to bridge divisions within Israeli society after what he described as Netanyahu’s divisive tenure.
“Our goal is not for one side to defeat the other. That is not our way,” Eisenkot told hundreds of supporters.
“We will work to bring all Israelis together again — those who voted for us and those who did not,” he added.
Eisenkot also pledged to prioritise security and the economy, promising to take responsibility for both successes and failures if elected.
“I will always look you in the eye and tell the truth,” he said, urging wavering supporters of Netanyahu’s Likud party to back his campaign.
“Deep down, you too know that Israel cannot go on like this. Israel needs change,” he said.
Netanyahu has made his security record a central theme of his campaign, highlighting the ongoing conflict with Iran and portraying himself as the candidate best placed to address the country’s security challenges.
Speaking on Israeli television after Eisenkot’s rally, Netanyahu accused his rival and his allies of supporting the creation of a Palestinian state, which he described as “a catastrophe for Israel”.
“They will not destroy Iran’s nuclear programme,” Netanyahu said. “We’ve done 90 per cent of the work, 10 per cent remains. Who is going to do it? Eisenkot and the Muslim Brotherhood? No. Only I can do it.”
Eisenkot has said he opposes a Palestinian state but has pledged to take action against extremist Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
He also accused Netanyahu of using the Iranian threat for political advantage, arguing that the prime minister had failed to achieve the military objectives he had set.
Netanyahu further fuelled concerns about Iran by posting an AI-generated image depicting a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv, alongside a message describing Iran as an existential threat to Israel.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has pledged to join a coalition with Eisenkot, criticised Netanyahu’s handling of the security situation.
“This man has lost his grip. We absolutely must send him home,” Lapid wrote on X.
Netanyahu’s critics accuse him of prioritising his political survival over the country’s interests. He is also facing a corruption trial, although he denies the charges.
Eisenkot’s message of unity has resonated with some voters, with supporters describing the former army chief as a trustworthy alternative to the long-serving prime minister.
“I feel that he’s a rock for us… he’s someone I can trust,” said Yael Shkedi, a 66-year-old jewellery maker who attended Eisenkot’s rally.
“Amid all this chaos, what really matters to me is this feeling of someone who can somehow bring everyone together, almost like a father figure,” she added.
Another rally attendee, army reservist Chen Sharon, said she wanted leaders whose values she could trust.
Opinion polls had shown Netanyahu and Eisenkot running neck and neck before a restriction on publishing new polls took effect in the three days before the vote.
The election campaign has been dominated by security, the war with Iran, the question of Palestinian statehood and concerns about Netanyahu’s leadership, setting the stage for a closely contested vote.
