Brief
Netanyahu campaigns for survival as election looms amid security and legal pressures
Benjamin Netanyahu leans on security credentials, a Trump endorsement and anti‑Palestinian rhetoric as Israel heads to polls on Oct. 27.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Jerusalem – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest‑serving premier, is intensifying his campaign ahead of the Oct. 27 election, according to Gulf News. The 77‑year‑old is promoting a security‑first message while confronting an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, a long‑running corruption trial and a multi‑front conflict that began after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
What happened
Netanyahu’s campaign centres on the slogan “Either the Right or Palestine,” displayed on posters nationwide. He has highlighted recent Israeli strikes against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran, positioning those operations as proof of his ability to protect the nation. On Friday, after five Israelis were wounded by Palestinian gunmen near Hebron, he ordered a strict Hebron lockdown and a full West Bank closure, warning that Hamas terrorists have “no place to hide.”
What the reports add
Gulf News notes that Netanyahu is touting an endorsement from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who posted a “Complete and Total Endorsement” on Oct. 18, calling the Israeli leader a “Great Warrior Prime Minister.” The article also mentions that Netanyahu’s main rival, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, is running neck‑and‑neck in polls and is capitalising on public anger over the October 7 security lapse.
What was said
Netanyahu warned that “hostile powers want him to lose” and warned against a future Palestinian state, which he says a majority of Israelis oppose. He also pledged to “pursue Hamas terrorists everywhere.” The Gulf News piece quotes Netanyahu’s own reflections on his brother Yonatan’s death during the 1976 Entebbe raid, saying, “When the news reached me that Yoni had died, I felt as if my life had ended.”
How it came about
Netanyahu’s political career spans more than three decades, beginning with his election to parliament in 1988 and his first premiership in 1996. He has previously opposed the 1990s peace process and now supports annexing parts of the West Bank. His current strategy builds on earlier election coverage by Felo News, which highlighted the Oct. 7 attack as a central campaign theme and reported Trump’s endorsement on Oct. 18.
Key facts
- Netanyahu is campaigning for the Oct. 27 election with a security‑first slogan. (gulfnews.com)
- He ordered a Hebron lockdown and full West Bank closure after a shooting that wounded five Israelis. (gulfnews.com)
- Former U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Oct. 18, calling him a “Great Warrior Prime Minister.” (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com
- [2] independent.co.uk
- [3] france24.com
- [4] news.yahoo.com
