Jerusalem, 10 June, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party said Wednesday he will run in Israel’s next election, responding to comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that appeared to question his political future. “Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the upcoming elections — and with God’s help, he will win,” the party said in a statement.
Trump told ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl that he was uncertain about Netanyahu’s intentions. “That’s an open question,” he said. “I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career. Does he want to continue? Because he’s a wartime prime minister. We will very shortly win the war one way or the other,” Trump said, according to Karl.
Israel’s next general election must be held by October 27. Likud recently held internal elections for its municipal branches and Central Committee, in which members endorsed Netanyahu’s continued leadership as party chairman, with no challenger emerging.
A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute released this week found that 61 percent of Israelis believe Netanyahu should not run again.
Netanyahu has recently highlighted ties with Trump, sharing campaign material featuring the US president praising his wartime leadership.