With just over a week until Israel’s election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, days after President Donald Trump publicly endorsed him.
Netanyahu also faces significant legal challenges, including an ongoing corruption trial in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies.
He has requested a presidential pardon and remains subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in 2024, although he has continued travelling to the United States.
Yossi Mekelberg, Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, speaking with Al Jazeera, describes Trump’s endorsement as direct interference in Israeli domestic politics that could strengthen Netanyahu’s support base but alienate other voters.
He argues that Netanyahu’s political survival, despite the security failures of October 7, 2023, and his legal troubles, reflects the opposition’s failure to offer a convincing alternative.
Mekelberg says opposition parties could potentially end Netanyahu’s premiership by cooperating with parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel.
He also questions Israel’s reliance on military force, pointing to peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan as examples of how diplomacy can deliver lasting security.
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