Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party announced he would run for reelection, after President Donald Trump publicly questioned whether he would.Speculation about Netanyahu’s political future increased after Trump, the prime minister’s closest international ally, voiced uncertainty, citing the Israeli prime minister’s long career. The Likud party shut down any speculation in a brief X post on Wednesday.“Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the upcoming elections – and with God’s help, he will win,” the post read.
The remarks came shortly after Trump implied the prime minister might want to throw in the towel and end his career rather than run for reelection.
“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career. Does he want to continue?” Trump said when asked by a journalist about Netanyahu’s plans for reelection.
Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having held the position for 18 years in total. He’s had three stints in the role, from 1996 to 1999, 2009 to 2021, and from 2022 to present.
Israel must hold new elections before the end of October, though no date has been announced.
