Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election this year, his Likud Party announced on Wednesday, despite public comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that raised doubts about whether Netanyahu would run. Likud said Netanyahu would stand in the forthcoming national election and “God willing” would win. While the election date has not been formally announced, it is required to be held by October.
The announcement follows Trump’s remarks to ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who posted on X that Trump told him he did not know if Netanyahu would stand again. Multiple outlets also note that Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has led the country through nearly three years of war and is currently on trial for corruption. Sources add that opposition figures have criticized his handling of the war and his ability to achieve the goals he set after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
