Former Israeli Consul General to Los Angeles Yaki Dayan spoke to Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about US President Donald Trump's unequivocal endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, and explained why it is not unprecedented and what it might mean for the Iranian arena.
"There is nearly never an election cycle where Trump doesn't express a clear position, from Argentina to Hungary. He doesn't hesitate and does not shy away from supporting a candidate, even taking operational steps like saying that the US will not financially support Argentina if they don't support Milei. The same goes when it comes to Netanyahu, when he says, 'He's my partner on the Iranian issue. Support him because with him we can finish the Iranian issue.' So it's not totally unprecedented."
Dayan adds that previous presidents were also involved in Israeli elections, and Israel was involved in the US elections. He mentions Netanyahu's conduct since the 2012 election.
Can Trump's open support help Netanyahu electorally? Dayan is careful not to make decisive statements, saying that it is difficult to estimate such a declaration's influence on the electorate, and the attitude towards it is largely influenced by the observer's political positions.
"I don't know how to quantify it and say that it will drive people to go out and vote. Until last week, quite a few pro-Netanyahu pundits said that it didn't make much of a difference, and today, they rest on Trump's endorsement. On the other hand, when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Netanyahu must be replaced, they said that Israel is not a banana republic and will not accept foreign interference, so it depends on who it serves."
That being said, Dayan stresses that the significance of Trump's endorsement should not be ignored, as a president who is considered friendly to Israel, particularly his emphasis on the Iranian issue, which he presents as a central component of his partnership with Netanyahu.
Later in the conversation, Dayan addresses an assessment by commentator Amit Segal that Trump would not have expressed such unequivocal support for Netanyahu had he not seen polls indicating that Netanyahu could win the election. Dayan rejects that explanation and argues that Trump’s support is not driven solely by electoral calculations.
“That sounds to me like an incorrect theory. Trump has also supported candidates who lost elections, such as in Hungary and Brazil. He does not read polls and then decide to support whoever has a chance of winning. He genuinely believes that Netanyahu is the right person from his perspective, just as he took that position in previous elections. He sees in Netanyahu many things that he sees in himself, such as legal persecution and more. Beyond that, Netanyahu was his partner on the Iranian issue, which is still unresolved."
According to Dayan, Trump views Netanyahu as a close partner, both politically and personally, and sees him as the leader best suited, from his perspective, to continue dealing with the Iranian challenge. He adds that the similarities Trump perceives between himself and Netanyahu, including a sense of legal persecution, may also help explain his consistent support.
As for the substance of Trump’s statement, Dayan believes the central message does not relate only to Israel’s election campaign, but also to the US president’s commitment to continuing to address the Iranian issue.
“And as someone who understands politics, he understands what the most significant issue is for the Israeli voter, and that is why he speaks about this issue. In addition, it indicates that after the elections in Israel and the United States, we will probably see another round in the Iranian arena."