US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Israelis to vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, citing their cooperation in the war against Iran as an example of “winning together”.
“When you go to the Polls please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
Trump’s endorsement came as Netanyahu’s main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, held his final major campaign rally, pledging to unite a deeply divided Israeli society and restore public trust in the country’s leadership.
Eisenkot, a former military chief and relative newcomer to politics compared with Netanyahu, has portrayed the incumbent as unfit to lead, promising greater accountability for the security failures that preceded Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has made his security record a central pillar of his campaign, highlighting the ongoing conflict with Iran and warning that his opponents would be unable to protect Israel’s national interests.
Opinion polls had shown Netanyahu and Eisenkot running neck and neck before restrictions on publishing new surveys took effect three days ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
At his rally on Sunday, Eisenkot pledged to heal divisions within Israeli society, emphasising security, economic stability and national reconciliation.
“Our goal is not for one side to defeat the other. That is not our way,” he told hundreds of supporters.
“We will work to bring all Israelis together again — those who voted for us and those who did not.”
Eisenkot’s message of unity has resonated with some voters, particularly those seeking an alternative to Netanyahu’s long tenure and divisive political style.
“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 the 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.”
In his address, Eisenkot promised to be honest with the public and accept responsibility for both successes and failures.
He also appealed directly to undecided voters and supporters of Netanyahu’s Likud party, urging them to support a change in leadership.
“Deep down, you too know that Israel cannot go on like this,” he said. “Israel needs change.”
Netanyahu’s critics have accused him of prioritising his political survival over the country’s broader interests. He is also facing trial on corruption charges, which he denies.
Chen Sharon, an army reservist who attended Eisenkot’s rally, said she wanted leaders she could trust.
“We need someone that we can actually believe his values and what he represents to us,” she said.
Netanyahu makes Iran war central to campaign
Throughout the campaign, Netanyahu has appealed to voters opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Posters bearing the slogan “Either the Right or Palestine” have appeared across the country.
He has also highlighted the war against Iran, which Israel launched alongside the United States, arguing that his security credentials distinguish him from his political rivals.
Speaking on Israeli television channel 14 after Eisenkot’s rally, Netanyahu accused his challenger 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 percent of the work, 10 percent 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 tougher action against extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank who have attacked Palestinians.
On Sunday, Netanyahu also shared an AI-generated image depicting a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv, accompanied by text from a right-wing political commentator describing Iran as an existential threat and suggesting that other campaign issues were insignificant by comparison.
In a post on X on Saturday, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of exaggerating the Iranian threat for political gain.
“You have once again failed spectacularly and blatantly to achieve the war objectives you yourself set,” Eisenkot wrote.
Longtime opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has pledged to join a coalition with Eisenkot, also criticised Netanyahu, accusing him of losing his grip on the situation.
“Yesterday, Netanyahu announced that U.S. security aid was over and that sanctions would crush our economy. This morning, he posted a video in which an atomic bomb lands on Tel Aviv,” Lapid wrote on X.
“This man has lost his grip. We absolutely must send him home.”
Trump’s endorsement adds an international dimension to an already closely contested election, with Netanyahu seeking to capitalise on his relationship with Washington and his handling of the conflict with Iran, while Eisenkot campaigns on national unity, accountability and a change in leadership.
AFP
