Netanyahu faces election pressure as Trump still withholds public backing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting election pressure ahead of the October 27 vote, according to Axios. The report said that during a meeting in the Oval Office two weeks ago, U.S. President Donald Trump asked Netanyahu how he was polling before the election. Netanyahu reportedly paused before one of his advisers stepped in and told Trump, 「Mr. President, he is ahead.」 Even so, Axios said Netanyahu’s lead was slim. Trump has not publicly offered the endorsement Netanyahu had hoped for, despite repeated questions from reporters. Axios noted that Trump could still change his mind, but with only 75 days left before the election, time is running short for Netanyahu. Polling numbers cited in the report show Netanyahu’s governing coalition at just 49 to 53 seats, well below both its current 68-seat position and the 61 seats needed to form a government. By contrast, Israel’s opposition bloc is polling at 67 to 70 seats. Netanyahu’s main rival, former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, is leading in most polls.