Vance Withholds Netanyahu Endorsement as Trump Backs Israeli Leader

With Israel's national election approaching on October 27, 2026, US Vice President JD Vance has declined to endorse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, taking a different position from President Donald Trump, who publicly backed Netanyahu's reelection campaign. Vance said he would concentrate on American candidates and the upcoming US midterm elections rather than intervene in Israeli politics.

Vance made the remarks in an interview with journalist Mark Halperin on 2WAY Tonight, published Monday, October 19, according to CNBC. His position contrasts with Trump's endorsement, announced Sunday, October 18, after months in which the president had avoided explicitly supporting Netanyahu's bid for another term.

Vance emphasized that his refusal to endorse Netanyahu did not amount to opposition to the Israeli leader.

"I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on in the midterms," Vance said.

He reiterated that he would remain outside the Israeli election campaign, describing his position as neither opposition nor support for Netanyahu's candidacy.

"I'm not anti-endorsing him. I'm not pro-endorsing him," Vance said.

He added that he was not participating in Israel's electoral politics. His stance differs from his earlier involvement in foreign elections, including his April campaign appearance in Budapest in support of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who subsequently lost his reelection bid after 16 years in power.

Trump, meanwhile, used his Truth Social platform on Sunday to offer Netanyahu an unequivocal endorsement, praising the prime minister's leadership and his cooperation with Washington, particularly over the conflict with Iran.

"Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel. BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" Trump wrote.

The president also described Netanyahu as a "Great Warrior Prime Minister" and an even greater partner for peace. Trump argued that Netanyahu had remained strong despite substantial opposition, including criticism within Israel, and linked his endorsement to the countries' joint confrontation with Iran.

Netanyahu welcomed the public support in a statement posted on X, thanking Trump for his backing and cooperation.

"Thank you, President Trump, for the tremendous support and work together," Netanyahu said.

Trump's endorsement followed weeks of uncertainty about whether he would intervene in the Israeli campaign. Earlier in October, he told TIME magazine, "I'm not involved in politics anymore," despite his history of endorsing candidates in foreign elections.

The president has previously supported political figures abroad, including Orbán, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Poland's President Karol Nawrocki and several Latin American leaders. Vance also met Alice Weidel, leader of Germany's Alternative for Germany party, during a security conference in Munich last year.

Israel's October 27 election will be the country's first national vote since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. The campaign is unfolding amid public debate over Netanyahu's leadership, the government's handling of the aftermath of the Hamas attack and the outcome of the war involving Iran.

According to an election tracker cited by Al Jazeera, polling projections as of Sunday gave the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party 52 seats, compared with 51 for the Likud-led coalition, in the 120-seat Knesset. Neither bloc was projected to secure an outright majority.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, described Trump's endorsement as politically significant because it could reinforce Netanyahu's argument that he is essential to Israel's relationship with Washington. However, she cautioned that the intervention might not substantially change the electoral outcome.

Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King's College London's School of Security Studies, similarly characterized the endorsement as a political advantage for Netanyahu but said the prime minister faced deeper electoral challenges, including divisions among right-wing parties, dissatisfaction among ultra-Orthodox voters and the legacy of the October 7 attacks.

The endorsement also comes amid disagreements between Trump and Netanyahu over regional policy. During the conflict with Iran, Trump criticized an Israeli attack on a major Iranian gas field and expressed frustration over fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu also rejected a US proposal for advancing a ceasefire in Gaza in August.

According to Al Jazeera, the Iran conflict, which began in February 2026 with US and Israeli attacks across Iran, had reached a standstill by October. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global crude shipments, and a US naval blockade of Iranian vessels had added pressure to the regional confrontation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained available if Washington accepted Iran's conditions. He also accused Netanyahu of seeking renewed attacks on Iran to avoid facing legal consequences, according to his public remarks reported by Al Jazeera.

The competing approaches from Washington's two senior elected leaders leave Netanyahu with Trump's explicit backing but no equivalent endorsement from Vance as Israel prepares to vote on October 27.