The president warned that if voters choose anyone else, the United States would be forced to handle the Iran threat alone — something he signaled he would rather avoid.

Endorsement comes as polls show deadlocked race

Trump's message, posted on Truth Social and addressed to the Israeli people, praised Netanyahu as "strong, brave, and brilliant" and said the prime minister had only grown stronger under pressure. "Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — but Bibi did not wilt," Trump wrote.

The endorsement arrives as opinion surveys show no clear path to victory for either Netanyahu's coalition or the opposition bloc headed by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. A Maariv poll released Sunday showed the two blocs tied at 51 seats apiece in the 120-seat Knesset, 10 seats shy of a governing majority. In a head-to-head matchup, however, Eisenkot led Netanyahu 48 percent to 41 percent on who would make the better prime minister.

The election will be Israel's first since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that upended the region and sparked wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. It could decide whether Netanyahu survives what has been one of the most turbulent stretches in the country's history.

Trump ties Iran campaign to Netanyahu's re-election

In a move that broke with longstanding tradition of American presidents refraining from campaigning in foreign elections, Trump signaled that America's role in the Iran fight could depend on who leads Israel.

"If Israel has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so," Trump wrote.

The U.S. and Israel jointly launched strikes on Iran in February, kicking off a war that has rattled global energy markets and battered economies across the region. The conflict remains unpopular with American voters ahead of the November 3 congressional elections.

Netanyahu quickly thanked his "dear friend Donald" in a post on X, saying: "Together, we will complete the mission!"

Analysts question whether endorsement will sway voters

Analysts see a modest upside at best for Netanyahu. Tamar Hermann, a senior research fellow at the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute, said Trump's backing could lure back some wavering Netanyahu supporters but is unlikely to broaden his appeal much beyond them.