Donald Trump refrained from openly supporting Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections

US President Donald Trump did not directly express support for his long-time ally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the elections in Israel approached.

In his interview with TIME magazine, Trump was asked whether he wanted Netanyahu to remain in office for another term, and instead of answering the question, he said that he wanted to help defend Israel.

As the elections to be held in Israel on October 27 approached, all eyes were on the messages to come from Washington.

In TIME's interview with Trump, the US President was asked directly whether he supports Netanyahu serving another term. Trump did not give a clear "yes" answer to the question.

Trump said, "I am no longer involved in politics," and continued that his priority is to help defend Israel. Thus, he avoided declaring direct election support for Netanyahu.

Instead of supporting Netanyahu, Trump pointed out his own position in Israel.

The US President claimed that his popularity with the Israeli public was at "99 percent" due to his past policies.

This statement by Trump was one of the remarkable statements made by Netanyahu during the most critical period of the election campaign.

In the TIME interview, Trump was also asked whether Washington could work more effectively with Netanyahu's rival and former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. Trump said he had “not heard bad things” about Eisenkot.

However, immediately after this statement, Trump stated that Netanyahu should not be underestimated and gave a remarkable message for his former ally.

"They disregarded Bibi many times, just like they disregarded me many times. I would not underestimate Bibi," he said.

One of Netanyahu's prominent rivals in the October 27 elections in Israel is former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.

According to the US press, Eisenkot is the leader of the new centrist party Yashar and is considered one of the prominent names in the election race with his security background.

The election in Israel will be the first general election since the Hamas attack in 2023. While Netanyahu positions himself as the most powerful person who can ensure Israel's security in his campaign, he uses a discourse that accuses his opponents of being insufficient in terms of security.

Trump and Netanyahu have been known for their close political relations for many years. However, recently there have been reports of tension in the relations between the two leaders.

Anadolu Agency stated that the background of Trump's latest statements is that there are differences of opinion regarding the Iran war and Israel's operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

Reuters also reported that Israel's war in Gaza and developments in the region affected the support for Israel in the United States.

Trump's lack of open election support for Netanyahu stood out as a remarkable development before the Israeli elections.

Moreover, while the US President said that he had not heard anything negative about Netanyahu's rival Eisenkot, he also emphasized that Netanyahu should not be discarded politically.

Rather than a clear support or opposition, the picture that emerges shows that Trump is avoiding declaring a clear side in the Israeli elections.