Trump aides ready to work with Israel opposition if Netanyahu loses Oct 27 vote

Trump administration officials are preparing to build relationships with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political rivals if he loses Israel’s election on October 27. US officials told Axios that advisers see strong opportunities to cooperate with the opposition bloc, which is currently ahead in polling.

One Trump adviser described the situation by saying Netanyahu is the devil the president knows. The report noted that many of the president’s closest aides opposed his decision to endorse the prime minister earlier. They believed the US should have stayed out of the race entirely.

Vice President JD Vance declined to back Netanyahu when asked about the race this week. Vance said he was not attacking or endorsing the prime minister. He stated that the president’s endorsement is what matters most.

Strains within the administration over Israeli policy are complicating the relationship. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack raised concerns about the Netanyahu government’s approach to Syria. After Israeli strikes on a base in the northern Idlib province, Barrack called the attack an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team maintain a better relationship with the prime minister. However, they believe Israel could do more to strengthen Lebanon’s government. The State Department has also expressed frustration with what it views as Netanyahu’s failure to curb settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.

The Maariv poll shows the opposition bloc widening its lead to 54 seats, while Netanyahu’s bloc dropped to 48. In a head-to-head matchup for prime minister, Gadi Eisenkot leads Netanyahu with 49 percent support against 41 percent for the incumbent.

The survey found that 60 percent of respondents would prefer a unity government if the election fails to produce a clear majority. Among those favoring a unity government, 33 percent wanted a candidate from the opposition bloc to lead it, compared with 19 percent who preferred Netanyahu.