President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that his endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu had helped the Israel Prime Minister in the nation's elections. Trump's post comes even as Netanyahu pitched for an alliance with the US in his first reactions after exit polls indicated a tight race with primary contender Gadi Eisenkot.
Trump wrote, “When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu. It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!” and cited one ‘Irving C. Schwartz’.
He claimed that his endorsement had turned the “whole tide” and Netanyahu might even win. As per the latest update, with over 70% votes counted, Netanyahu's party maintains a slight lead over Eisenkot's bloc, even as the Arab parties have gained some ground.
What Netanyahu said about Trump
Deep Dive
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In his first reaction after the exit polls, Netanyahu had pitched Trump as an ally and noted that with him, Israel had a "once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity" to eliminate the Iranian threat.
{{/usCountry}}In his first reaction after the exit polls, Netanyahu had pitched Trump as an ally and noted that with him, Israel had a "once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity" to eliminate the Iranian threat.
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His remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict with Tehran which began when the US and Israel decided to jointly carry out strikes across Iran in February 2026.
Ahead of the Israeli elections Trump had endorsed Netanyahu, saying “Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!”. Netanyahu too touted this ahead of polling saying "US 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. He has another two years, and he says he is calling on you to vote for me."
Identity of Irving C. Schwartz baffles social media
The identity of ‘Irving C. Schwartz’ who Trump cited for the post remains unknown. Several people on social media wondered who it might be but there's no known journalist or political commentator by that name.
“For those wondering: Irving Schwartz is just an anonymous poster he quoted,” one said. Another asked “Who is Irving C. Schwartz?”. Yet another said “Irving c schwartz doing a lot of heavy lifting here tbh.”
(With Reuters inputs)