Likud party reaffirms Netanyahu’s bid for re-election in October vote

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party has confirmed that he will run in the upcoming elections, following remarks by US President Donald Trump that appeared to question whether the Israeli leader would seek re-election.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the upcoming elections — and with God’s help, he will win,” the party said in a statement, The Times of Israel reports.

Earlier, Trump told ABC News that he was uncertain whether Netanyahu intended to contest the vote, which must be held by October 27.

“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career,” Trump said, according to a post on X by ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl. “Does he want to continue? Because, you know he’s a wartime prime minister. We will very shortly win the war one way or the other, and you know he’s a wartime prime minister.”

Likud recently held internal elections in November for its municipal branches and its powerful Central Committee for the first time in nearly 14 years. With no challenger to Netanyahu’s leadership, party members were instead asked to endorse his continued role as party chairman.

Meanwhile, a poll published by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 61% of Israelis overall, and 57% of Jewish Israelis, believe Netanyahu should not run in the upcoming elections.

By Vafa Guliyeva