Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has leaned on his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump in a final push to secure another term, suggesting the two leaders could resume military action against Iran if he remains in power, as Israelis vote in a closely contested parliamentary election.

Trump urged Israelis to vote for Netanyahu, saying the two leaders needed to “finish the job” they started in their joint war against Iran, which began in February.

“Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!” Trump wrote on social media on Sunday.

Netanyahu seized on the endorsement, describing Trump as an unprecedentedly close friend of Israel and arguing that the U.S. president was prepared to take further action to eliminate what he called the Iranian threat — but only if Netanyahu stayed in office.

“U.S. President Donald Trump has come with a friendship that has never existed before between an Israeli prime minister and an American president. And it is doubtful we will ever have such a friendly president again,” Netanyahu said in a televised appearance late Sunday.

“He has another two years, and he says he is calling on you to vote for me,” he added.

Netanyahu also said he had instructed Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and military to bring down Iran’s government, arguing that removing the regime was the only way to end the threat posed by Tehran.

Asked about Netanyahu’s remarks, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Trump believed Iran was in a severely weakened economic and military position. She added that the U.S. blockade would remain in place, while oil continued to flow through the Strait of Hormuz at record levels.

“The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections,” Kelly said in an email, referring to the November 3 vote.

Trump first endorsed Netanyahu on October 18 and reiterated his support in a social media post on Sunday. Asked by reporters on Monday whether Netanyahu had requested the renewed endorsement, Trump said he had not discussed it with the Israeli leader.

“I put out both endorsements. I put out both,” Trump said. “I think he's done a very good job as prime minister under very trying conditions.”

Netanyahu’s leading challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, also praised Trump as “a true friend of Israel,” but said he was confident the U.S. president would cooperate fully with whichever leader Israelis elected.

“I value his efforts and his commitment to Israel’s security, and I am confident that he will work in full cooperation with any leader chosen by the people,” Eisenkot wrote on social media.

Netanyahu fights for political survival

Tuesday’s election is Israel’s first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, which exposed a major security failure and set off wars on multiple fronts, including in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Netanyahu, 77, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces a fight to remain in office after nearly 19 years in power since 2009, in addition to an earlier term in the 1990s. His supporters regard him as a strong leader capable of defending Israel in a hostile region, while critics argue that his divisive politics have weakened the country and deepened its international isolation.

Opinion polls suggest Netanyahu’s Likud party could lose seats, potentially leaving his coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties short of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

The race remains tight, however, and neither Netanyahu nor his opponents have a clear path to forming a government. Eisenkot leads the centrist Yashar party and has attracted support from voters across the political spectrum, including those seeking a change in leadership without abandoning a hard-line security approach.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of relying on fear to win votes, pointing to the prime minister’s warnings about the Iranian threat and his use of dramatic images in campaign messaging.

“Relying on a campaign of fear-mongering, lies and threats — including images of nuclear bombs in the heart of Tel Aviv — this time, it won’t work for him,” Eisenkot said.

On Monday, Netanyahu shared an AI-generated video depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a hospital bed, saying he would not vote for Netanyahu because another term could bring him to an early death. Khamenei’s father, Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first night of U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran in February.

The previous day, Netanyahu had posted a computer-generated image of a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv, warning that Israel faced an existential danger from Iran.

Neither side planned major public events on Monday, instead using social media to drive home their campaign messages. Netanyahu presented himself as the only leader capable of confronting Israel’s enemies, while his opponents argued that his leadership had left the country more divided and less secure.

A fragmented political landscape

Despite the pressure on Netanyahu, Israel’s fragmented political system could again work in his favor. No single party has ever won an outright majority in the Knesset, making coalition negotiations central to forming a government.

Netanyahu may need the support of far-right leaders Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, whose policies toward Palestinians have drawn international criticism and sanctions from some Western countries. Both have advocated the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the resettlement of the territory by Israelis.

The prime minister has also relied on the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. Their demands for exemptions from compulsory military service for much of their communities have fueled public anger, particularly during a period of prolonged conflict.

Other parties could prove decisive, including those representing Israel’s Arab minority, as well as smaller right-wing and center-right groups whose support could determine which bloc is able to form a government.

Netanyahu’s challengers include former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has joined forces with centrist former premier Yair Lapid; former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman; and former general Yair Golan, who leads the Democrats, a party rooted in the remnants of Israel’s Labor movement and the left-wing Meretz party.

Yet the opposition remains divided, leaving Netanyahu with a possible route to another term even if his party loses seats. If no candidate can secure a governing coalition, Netanyahu could remain caretaker prime minister until another election is held.

Election results may take time

Some 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote, including about 330,000 first-time voters. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and are scheduled to close at 10 p.m., when Israeli television channels are expected to publish exit polls offering an initial indication of the result.

A clearer picture could emerge within hours, but the fragmented political landscape may prolong uncertainty if neither bloc secures a viable path to a majority.

The final count is expected by October 30, with official results due to be published on November 4. President Isaac Herzog will then consult party leaders before asking the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government to do so. The nominee will have up to 42 days to assemble a coalition.