US President Donald Trump said that he believes he should remain neutral in Israel's upcoming elections, while leaving open the possibility that he could ultimately endorse a candidate.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked about the Israeli elections and declined to back Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or any other candidate.
"I think it's most appropriate for me to stay out of Israeli elections, but I may endorse somebody," Trump said.
The comments come amid continued speculation over whether Trump will intervene in the Israeli campaign by throwing his support behind Netanyahu, with whom he has maintained a close relationship but has also had disagreements in recent months.
Axios reported last week that when Netanyahu met Trump in the Oval Office two weeks earlier, the President asked the Prime Minister about his standing in the polls ahead of the October 27 election. According to a US official cited in the report, Netanyahu paused before one of his advisers responded, "Mr. President, he is winning."
The report noted, however, that polls show Netanyahu's current coalition falling short of the 61 seats required to form a government. Axios also reported that several of Netanyahu's political rivals, including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid, had conveyed messages to Trump and his aides through intermediaries urging the President not to endorse Netanyahu and to remain neutral in the election.
Trump had been asked repeatedly in recent weeks whether he would endorse Netanyahu but had refrained from doing so. The report added that some Trump advisers had previously expected the President to endorse the Prime Minister, but that differences between the two leaders over regional issues had widened in recent months.
During the Fox News interview, Trump also briefly addressed the situation in Gaza, saying that progress was being made toward the disarmament of Hamas while indicating that he does not believe Israel should currently be carrying out strikes in the Gaza Strip.
"We have our own relationship with Hamas. They are giving up their guns," Trump said.
Trump also discussed the ongoing confrontation with Iran, telling Fox News that Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender." Asked about the timing of his approach toward Tehran, the President said, "I have no time schedule," and stressed that considerations surrounding the US midterm elections were not influencing his decisions.