President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, endorsing him on Truth Social on Sunday, Oct. 18, just nine days before Israel's Oct. 27 election. He gave Netanyahu his "complete and total endorsement" and praised him as a strong partner in confronting Iran. Trump also warned that if Israel ends up with "the wrong leader," meaning anyone other than Netanyahu, America would have to do that work itself, and he said he is not inclined to. The move came after months in which Trump had avoided saying whether he would back Netanyahu, so many people were wondering whether it would come at all.

US correspondent Mike Wagenheim says the "X factor" in the endorsement is an implicit fear some Israeli voters may feel that US aid could be cut off if Netanyahu loses. That is his analysis, and Trump's post as quoted in reports focuses on Iran rather than on aid. Polls show a tight race between Netanyahu's Likud and the opposition, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, with neither bloc clearly on course for a Knesset majority. Israel's prime minister is chosen through coalition-building rather than a direct vote, so even a narrow result could leave weeks of bargaining. Public support for Trump in Israel has also dropped amid US-Israeli differences, so whether his backing helps or hurts Netanyahu is far from settled.