Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu ignores a pattern of betrayal

By Tom Beckwith · Reporting from Washington · October 18, 2026

Donald Trump gave Benjamin Netanyahu his "complete and total endorsement" on October 18, rewarding a partner who manipulated a regional war for domestic political survival.

Donald Trump is wrong to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu. This is not a strategic alignment of interests. It is a transactional survival pact between two men who do not trust each other. By granting his "complete and total endorsement" on October 18, Trump has rewarded a leader who actively undermined American peace efforts and manipulated a regional war for domestic gain. In the world of diplomacy, credibility is earned in the boring years and spent in crises. Trump is spending the last of his diplomatic capital on a partner who views the United States not as an ally, but as a tool for political longevity.

The theater of the warrior

The language of the endorsement is pure theater. Trump called Netanyahu a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” on social media. This is the same narrative of resilience against a perceived establishment that defined the 2016 United States presidential election. Trump noted that people had "written Bibi off" just as they had written him off.

The reality is far drier. CNN reports that Trump has warned Netanyahu in phone calls that he is losing support among Americans. He even questioned why Israel was blowing up apartment buildings in Lebanon. The two men did not even meet during the UN General Assembly in September 2026. When they did meet at the White House in August, there were no cameras. That is where the real conversation happens.

The interests here are simple. Netanyahu needs a shield against his centrist rivals and a path toward a pardon in his corruption trials. Trump wants a partner who looks "strong" to his base. But the cost of this theater is high. US average net favorability of Israel fell from +51 points to -16. Trump is doubling down on a figure who has become a liability in the eyes of the American public.

The price of a prolonged war

The joint US-Israeli attack on Iran began in February 2026. Months later, the conflict has disrupted global energy markets and damaged critical infrastructure, according to CNA. Trump has warned Netanyahu about the risk of a global economic downturn. Yet, Trump’s own advisers concluded over the summer that Netanyahu tried to prolong the Iran war to bolster his own political standing.

This is the core of the betrayal. While the White House sought an exit, the Prime Minister sought a lifeline. The Abraham Accords of 2020 projected an image of "warrior" leadership, but the underlying mechanism was always about mutual political survival.

A pattern of foreign intervention

The 2013 Israeli legislative election provides the parallel here. In that cycle, as now, the mechanism was foreign intervention in Israeli domestic politics to secure a preferred security partner. The US has long believed it can curate the leadership in Jerusalem to ensure stability. This is a delusion.

The Israeli public is not as fooled as the White House thinks. A July 2026 survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that 45% of Israelis had no trust that Trump will do the right thing on US-Israel relations. Only 7% had "a great deal of trust."

Netanyahu knows the math. He told Army Radio that escalation before the election is "no good" for him. He fears his opponents will blame him if Iran fires missiles. He is not a "warrior" in this moment; he is a candidate calculating the risk of a missile strike. He is using Trump’s endorsement to signal strength while privately fearing the volatility of the very war he helped prolong.

The capabilities of both men are now limited. Trump can offer diplomatic cover, but he cannot force the Israeli electorate to ignore the economic strain of a seven-month war. Netanyahu can control the military tempo, but he cannot stop the slide of US public opinion. They are clinging to each other because they have few other options.

This endorsement is a gamble on a broken partner. Trump is ignoring the record of the last year to maintain a facade of strength. He is treating a strategic alliance like a campaign rally. By praising a man who manipulated a war for votes, Trump is telling every capital in the world that American support is not based on shared interests or treaty obligations, but on the personal whims of the president.

The result will be a more volatile Middle East and a more isolated United States. Netanyahu will likely use this endorsement to secure a narrow coalition, but he will remain a leader without a mandate, dependent on a foreign power that he has repeatedly misled. The "mission" they claim to be completing is not the security of the region. It is the preservation of their own power at any cost. The cost, in this case, is the credibility of the United States.

Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu ignores a pattern of betrayal

The theater of the warrior

The price of a prolonged war

A pattern of foreign intervention

Sources