{
  "id": 15565067,
  "title": "Trump waited for favorable Netanyahu polling before endorsing him, sources say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/trump-waited-for-favorable-netanyahu-polling-before-endorsing-him",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-19T05:42:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-912118"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Donald Trump delayed endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's elections until internal polling data suggested Netanyahu had a real shot at victory, according to political sources. Netanyahu had not held a press conference with journalists in over a year before returning to that format just nine days before the elections, intensifying his efforts to secure 61 Knesset seats for his bloc. During a nine-hour briefing, Netanyahu outlined his security and diplomatic vision for the upcoming years, emphasizing that Israel would act independently from American approval when necessary, particularly in the context of Iran's nuclear threat. However, Netanyahu acknowledged tensions with Trump over Turkey, stating that Israel had thwarted a Turkish attempt to expand its military presence in Syria and was preparing for more scenarios, though he preferred to avoid a direct confrontation with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite these differences, Netanyahu expressed a desire for a return to the historical relationship between Israel and Turkey, though he acknowledged the likelihood of maintaining some level of cooperation with Erdogan in power. The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu remained strong despite their cooling relations, partly due to Netanyahu's efforts to maintain communication outside the public eye. The endorsement by Trump, revealed through embargoed social media posts, was reportedly coordinated with Likud officials, who had no doubt that Trump would back Netanyahu ahead of the elections. However, Trump's hesitation to publicly endorse Netanyahu earlier may have been influenced by his experience in Hungary's elections, where he supported Viktor Orban, who ultimately lost. Internal polling data indicated that Likud and the right-wing bloc were gaining strength, with some surveys even showing the Right leading. This information likely convinced Trump that Netanyahu had a genuine chance of winning the elections, prompting him to end his public silence and endorse Netanyahu at the right moment.",
  "summary": "Trump delayed endorsing Netanyahu for the upcoming election until internal polling showed a path to victory, political sources told Maariv.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "Trump just handed Netanyahu his October surprise. Will it pay off?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/trump-just-handed-netanyahu-his-october-surprise-will-it-pay-off",
        "published": "2026-10-18T22:32:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Polymarket bets favor Eisenkot over Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/polymarket-bets-favor-eisenkot-over-netanyahu-ahead-of-israeli",
        "published": "2026-10-19T00:54:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Trump endorses Netanyahu, warns Israel against choosing rival in tight election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/trump-endorses-netanyahu-warns-israel-against-choosing-rival-in-tight",
        "published": "2026-10-19T01:08:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Vibes",
        "title": "Trump backs Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election amid Iran war tensions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/trump-backs-netanyahu-ahead-of-israeli-election-amid-iran-war-tensions",
        "published": "2026-10-19T02:42:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Arutz Sheva - Israel National News",
        "title": "Zell on Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu: Political deadlock, repeated elections signal weakness",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/zell-on-trumps-endorsement-of-netanyahu-political-deadlock-repeated",
        "published": "2026-10-19T02:59:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Middle East conflicts: Trump backs Netanyahu as Iran issues warning, Saudi-Houthi strikes escalate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/middle-east-conflicts-trump-backs-netanyahu-as-iran-issues-warning",
        "published": "2026-10-19T03:02:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Trump endorses Netanyahu nine days before Israeli election, breaking months of silence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/trump-endorses-netanyahu-nine-days-before-israeli-election-breaking",
        "published": "2026-10-19T03:44:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "US issues security alerts across 12 Middle East nations including UAE, Saudi Arabia; warns citizens to prepare for flight disruptions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/us-issues-security-alerts-across-12-middle-east-nations-including-uae",
        "published": "2026-10-19T03:46:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "US President Donald Trump endorses Netanyahu for Israeli election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/us-president-donald-trump-endorses-netanyahu-for-israeli-election",
        "published": "2026-10-19T05:10:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Trump backs Netanyahu ahead of tight Israeli election, warns voters against rivals",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/trump-backs-netanyahu-ahead-of-tight-israeli-election-warns-voters",
        "published": "2026-10-19T06:25:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}