Israel’s Likud Party announced on Wednesday that its leader Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election this year. The announcement came after U.S President Donald Trump reportedly told ABC News that he wasn’t sure if the incumbent Prime Minister would contest again.
The Likud Party said in a brief statement that he would run in the election and, “God willing, win”. While the election has not been officially announced, it is a requirement to hold it by October, marking the first poll since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl had earlier posted on X that Trump told him he did not know if Netanyahu would run for re-election.
“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career. Does he want to continue?” Karl cited the President.
Netanyahu’s tenure since returning to power in December 2022 has been controversial, facing mass anti-government protests even before the wars in Gaza, Lenabon, and Iran.
Polls have repeatedly predicted that his right-wing coalition would not secure a majority in the upcoming election. The Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute published a poll on June 9, indicating that 61% of the Israeli public believed he should not run for re-election.
However, polls have also shown that even a potential coalition of opposition parties would fail to get a parliamentary majority unless they form a coalition with Arab parties, an option dismissed by some opposition leaders.
Meanwhile, recent interactions between Netanyahu and Trump have given rise to speculations of a rift despite officials of both countries claiming they still have a close relationship.
Trump had demanded Israel to suspend military operations in Lebanon while Washington negotiated a peace deal with Iran. The Republican leader had even admitted to calling Netanyahu “fucking crazy” in a tense phone call last week. Despite this, he insisted that the two got along well.
Trump had also appealed to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu over corruption charges.
