Netanyahu likely hoping for a Trump victory: Analysts

Republican in office may give PM more freedom to navigate two wars, they say

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JERUSALEM - With the US presidential election heading into the home stretch, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely be hoping for Donald Trump to return to the White House.

Trump's last time in office was good for Mr Netanyahu, and in the lead-up to the Nov 5 vote, the former president has sent mixed messages on his Middle East policy.

His remarks have ranged from encouraging Mr Netanyahu to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities which Israel refrained from doing in its strikes on Oct 26 - to criticising the Israeli leader, saying "the October 7 attack would never have happened if I was president" and that he will pressure Israel to end the wars.

Yet it is these unclear policies, combined with Trump's "make America great again" campaign slogan, that analysts say Mr Netanyahu is hoping for.

An isolationist, Trump as a Republican president might give Mr Netanyahu more freedom to navigate the conflicts that continue to rage in Gaza and Lebanon.

"One of Netanyahu's milestones is the US election. He is praying for a Trump victory, which he thinks will give him a lot of freedom of movement, which will let him do what he aspires," Hebrew University of Jerusalem political science professor Gidon Rahat told AFP.