Netanyahu will run for re-election, his party says, after Trump expressed doubts

Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election this year, his party said on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump said he was unsure whether the Israeli prime minister would run again, Reuters reports.

In a brief statement, Netanyahu's Likud party said he would run in the election and, God willing, win. The election has not yet been formally announced, but must be held by October.

Earlier, ABC News' chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, reported on X that Trump told him he did not know whether Netanyahu would run.

“I don’t know, he’s had an incredible career. Does he want to continue?” the reporter quoted Trump as saying.

The elections in Israel will be the first since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which represented the country's worst security lapse and prompted an Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu has faced a turbulent term since returning to power in December 2022, leading the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history. He has faced massive anti-government protests before wars in Gaza, Lebanon and against Iran.

Polls have repeatedly shown that his coalition is unlikely to win a majority in the next election. Polls released by the Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute on June 9 showed that 61% of the Israeli public believe that Netanyahu should not run.

However, polls also show that a potential coalition of opposition parties would be insufficient for a parliamentary majority, unless it forms an alliance with Arab parties, which some opposition leaders have ruled out.

U.S. and Israeli officials say Trump and Netanyahu, who jointly launched a war against Iran in February, remain close, although tensions have occasionally flared, including in recent weeks when Trump demanded Israel limit military action in Lebanon while Washington negotiates a peace deal with Tehran.

Last week, Trump admitted to calling Netanyahu a “f****l crazy” in a heated phone call, even though he said they got along well. He has repeatedly called on the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu over pending corruption charges that Netanyahu denies.