President Donald Trump told Israel's Kan public broadcaster on Thursday that he will likely support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in upcoming elections but needs to see the challengers first, and said Netanyahu should be 'more rational.' The remark is Trump's most direct comment on the Israeli election since campaigning began.
On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump told Israel's public broadcaster Kan that he will likely support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in forthcoming elections, but added that Netanyahu 'should be more rational' regarding his policies — a qualifier that sharpens the conditional nature of his endorsement. The remark, first reported by Kan journalist Amit Segal at 17:11 Jerusalem, initially appeared as a simple conditional backing; by 17:37, The Zioneer reported that Trump also said Netanyahu needs to be 'more rational,' including a specific policy context. The version published at 17:11 also noted that Vice President JD Vance separately said the emerging US-Iran agreement will benefit the world, criticized Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for lacking a concrete alternative, and underscored that the U.S. acts in its own interest.
The thread shows an evolution in Trump's public posture toward Netanyahu over time: on June 10, the Times of Israel reported Trump may be tiring of Netanyahu, interpreting his musing about Netanyahu not running as possible wishful thinking. On June 14, journalist Barak Ravid reported that Trump would spend 'many hours' with Netanyahu, citing sources that Netanyahu sees the meeting as either a chance at another term or the end of their friendship. Thursday's public interview marks Trump's most direct election comment to date, but the condition attached — 'more rational' — maintains distance and aligns with earlier signs of skepticism.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, Trump has used similar 'rational' framing regarding Iran: on June 11 he said the current Iranian leadership is 'more rational,' suggesting a pattern in his vocabulary of evaluating allies and adversaries on the same axis.
What remains open: Trump did not elaborate on what 'more rational' policy he expects from Netanyahu, and the full context of the Kan interview is limited to the single-source report. However, the earlier thread items (the Ravid report and the Times of Israel analysis) provide corroborating context that Trump's position has been fluid and conditioned on Netanyahu's conduct.
4 developments
- DevelopingTrump says Netanyahu's next term is an open question
- DevelopingCommentator urges Netanyahu to tell Trump Israel will withdraw from Lebanon 'at the right time'
- DevelopingTimes of Israel: Trump may be tiring of Netanyahu as poll shows Israelis want change
- DevelopingTrump: Netanyahu will have no choice but to accept any Iran agreement
Source and signal
- Internal intake