Washington, DC [US], October 29 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday took credit for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s performance in the country’s closely contested election, asserting that his public backing enhanced the incumbent leader’s prospects.
Trump additionally remarked that he would contemplate participating in endeavours aimed at establishing a unity government within Israel. During a conversation with Axios on Wednesday, Trump observed that Netanyahu was in a favourable position after partial results showed his political bloc leading ahead of the opposition, notwithstanding the fact that neither faction appeared to have achieved an outright parliamentary majority.
“I heard my endorsement made a big difference for Bibi,” Trump stated, employing the prime minister’s familiar moniker. When queried regarding whether he would assist with efforts to form a unity government headed by Netanyahu, Trump responded, “I will take a look.”
Conversely, a US official told The Times of Israel that the White House had yet to determine whether it would intervene in coalition negotiations. Any media reports indicating that Washington maintained a preference for specific coalition arrangements were characterised by the official as inaccurate and premature, with the source noting that vote tabulations remained ongoing.
Ahead of the ballot, Trump had extended his endorsement to Netanyahu, calling upon Israeli electors to support the prime minister while emphasising that both nations needed to conclude ongoing security initiatives. Trump further lauded his own endorsement through a message shared on Truth Social, maintaining that the intervention transformed the electoral outlook from a projected defeat for Netanyahu into a prospective triumph or deadlock.
“When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned,” he noted in the post, observing that the final tallies currently resembled a significant comeback resulting in a stalemate or, alternatively, a victory for Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has consistently emphasised his robust alliance with Trump, designating the American leader as an essential ally in tackling regional security perils, with particular emphasis on threats emanating from Iran.
As vote counting progresses in Israel’s high-stakes political contest, partial returns published by the Central Elections Committee and detailed by The Times of Israel indicate that the electoral arithmetic remains finely balanced as the night unfolds.
According to partial figures published by the Central Elections Committee as of 11:35 pm (local time), the pro-Netanyahu bloc holds 53 seats, while the opposing bloc stands at 48 seats, based on 90 per cent of votes counted across 97.5 per cent of ballot boxes.
The updated tallies also shed light on several political factions currently tracking beneath the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold. Parties hovering below the cutoff include the Reservists at 2.6 per cent, the People of Israel at 1.6 per cent, and the Charedi Public faction at 0.2 per cent.
Electoral authorities have emphasised that these returns are strictly partial and will continue to evolve as the count advances. According to The Times of Israel, votes cast in double envelopes, which notably include the ballots of active-duty soldiers, are traditionally processed in the later stages of tabulation, leaving the final parliamentary breakdown subject to change.