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President Trump amps up rhetoric against El-Sayed; Israel is holding its first Parliamentary elections since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

President Trump's Board of Peace has appointed Shelley Greenspan, who served as the White House's Jewish community liaison during the Biden administration, to lead its outreach to Congress and the Washington think tank community. Why it matters: Greenspan's selection is part of an effort by the Board of Peace to increase bipartisan support for President Trump's Gaza peace plan. The implementation of the plan is expected to get a renewed push after the midterms and the formation of a new Israeli government. The possibility of Democrats controlling the House or Senate makes the need for bipartisanship on the Gaza plan even more crucial. Driving the news: The plan has been stuck due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to take any steps in Gaza before the October 27 elections. In recent months, multiple prominent Democrats have expressed support for Trump's plan. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed the plan in June, calling it the most viable proposal. Zoom in: Greenspan, a career civil servant at the State Department, was at the White House National Security Council during Biden's term — both as the American Jewish community liaison and the director for partnerships and elobal engagement. At the Board of Peace she will lead external affairs, putting her in charge of outreach to Congress and Middle East experts. What they're saying: "Shelley brings deep experience working across the aisle, having earned the trust of Democrats and Republicans alike through her service at the White House, National Security Council, and State Department in Democratic and Republican administrations," the Board of Peace told Axios in a statement. "Sustained, bipartisan support from Congress is essential to the work ahead, and Shelley is uniquely capable of leading this effort," the board added. Greenspan told Axios in a statement that she worked in her last State Department role to advance Trump's "vision for peace and prosperity in the Middle East." "I saw how the President's 20-Point Plan can tangibly deliver for the peoples of Gaza and Israel. I look forward to continuing that work with the Board," she said.

President Donald Trump renewed his endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening, urging Israelis to reelect him in Tuesday's election with a renewed call to “finish the job” against Iran. The post Trump Re-Endorses Netanyahu Ahead of Israeli Election: ‘We Have to Finish the Job’ Against Iran appeared first on Breitbart .

President Donald Trump renewed his endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, two days before Israel's national election, calling his longtime ally an "outstanding Warrior Prime Minister."

President Donald Trump renewed his endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, two days before Israel's national election, calling his longtime ally an "outstanding Warrior Prime Minister."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressed President Donald Trump for additional public support ahead of Tuesday's election, as final polls project his governing coalition will fall well short of a parliamentary majority.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — fighting for political survival in Tuesday's elections — has pleaded with President Trump in recent days to show more public support for his campaign, according to a U.S. source with knowledge and an Israeli source briefed on the matter. Why it matters: The U.S. source said the White House sees Netanyahu's aggressive lobbying as a "sign of desperation" and an indication that the Israeli leader thinks he's trailing. Neta Molcho a spokesperson for Netanyahu's Likud party, denied the prime minister asked Trump to support his campaign "in recent days or before his endorsement statement." The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Trump said in an interview with Newsmax two weeks ago that people in Israel asked him to get involved in support of Netanyahu. Behind the scenes: The U.S. source said Netanyahu spoke with Trump twice in the last three days and asked him to double down on his Truth Social post last week endorsing him. The source said Netanyahu even suggested language for additional statements of support. An Israeli source briefed on Netanyahu's efforts said the Israeli prime minister proposed that Trump hold calls with Israeli reporters to express further support. Driving the news: After weeks of hesitation, Trump endorsed Netanyahu last Sunday. He went so far as to suggest his defeat would have consequences for U.S.-Israel relations. Trump has never worked with an Israeli prime minister other than Netanyahu, and doesn't personally know any of the other candidates. The two have forged a close but often turbulent relationship. State of play: Three major Israeli television networks released their final pre-election polls Friday, all showing Netanyahu's coalition falling well short of a parliamentary majority. All three projected just 50 seats for Netanyahu's bloc in the 120-member Knesset — 17 fewer than his current coalition holds. His Likud party, which currently holds 32 seats, was projected to win just 20. The polls gave former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc between 52 and 56 seats, with another 14 to 16 going to two Arab Israeli parties. Channel 11 also projected four seats for a reservists party unaffiliated with either bloc. Pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 was the major outlier, projecting 60 seats for his bloc and 30 for Likud in a poll earlier this week. Between the lines: One U.S. official described the endorsement as a win-win for Trump, regardless of the outcome. If Netanyahu wins — or remains in power as a caretaker prime minister — Trump could claim credit for rescuing him politically and use that leverage to press for concessions. If Netanyahu loses and his opponents form a government, Israel's new leaders would still have every incentive to cultivate good relations with Trump. His endorsement of their rival would quickly become a footnote. Yes, but: Some of Trump's advisers see opportunity for his Middle East agenda in an Israeli government led by someone else.

On Bloomberg This Weekend, Bloomberg Economics Defense Lead Becca Wasser and Bloomberg News Middle East correspondent Dan Williams examine how elections in the US and Israel could shape the next phase of the Iran war, including the possibility of renewed US strikes after the midterms. Speaking with hosts David Gura and Christina Ruffini, Wasser and Williams assess potential US military options, Iran’s capacity to retaliate and the political calculations facing President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Source: Bloomberg)

President Trump's Middle East agenda can remain on track – or perhaps even enjoy new opportunities – even if the president's close ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes down in elections in Israel.

Some of President Donald Trump's advisers believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's defeat in Tuesday's election could make U.S. goals in the region easier to advance, even though Trump has endorsed him, Axios reported, citing U.S. officials.

A Middle East war that President Donald Trump said would be over in a matter of weeks now looks set to escalate as it enters its eighth month.

President Trump has endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu in Tuesday's Israeli election, but some of his advisers see opportunity for his Middle East agenda in a government led by someone else, U.S. officials tell Axios. Why it matters: Trump has never worked with an Israeli prime minister other than Netanyahu, and doesn't personally know any of the other candidates. The two have forged a close but often turbulent relationship. "He's the devil he knows," one Trump adviser said, describing the president's view of Netanyahu. Driving the news: After weeks of hesitation, Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday — and even suggested his defeat would have consequences for U.S.-Israel relations. One U.S. official described the endorsement as a win-win for Trump, regardless of the outcome. If Netanyahu wins — or remains in power as caretaker prime minister — Trump could claim credit for rescuing him politically and use that leverage to press for concessions. If Netanyahu loses and his opponents form a government, Israel's new leaders would still have every incentive to cultivate good relations with Trump. His endorsement of their rival would quickly become a footnote. Behind the scenes: Many of Trump's closest advisers opposed his decision to endorse Netanyahu, believing the president should stay out of the Israeli election, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Vice President Vance notably declined to follow Trump's lead when asked about the election this week, amid growing hostility toward Netanyahu in parts of the MAGA movement. "I'm not attacking Bibi Netanyahu. I'm not endorsing Bibi Netanyahu. I think the president's endorsement is ultimately what matters," Vance told reporters. Zoom in: Vance, who endorsed former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán days before his election defeat in April , said he would no longer get involved in foreign elections. The vice president is among the senior Trump officials who became disillusioned with Netanyahu during the war with Iran, according to sources familiar with their thinking. Vance and other top aides believe Netanyahu's pre-war assessments to the White House were mistaken, deepening questions about whether he remains the best partner for achieving Trump's regional ambitions. The big picture: Once the Israeli election and U.S. midterms are over, Trump will face a defining choice for his Middle East agenda: whether to join Netanyahu in another major military operation against Iran. Netanyahu is eager to move forward. But the election results could influence Trump's decision, or at least the timing of any renewed large-scale fighting. Trump also wants to move beyond the Iran war and pursue an ambitious diplomatic agenda that includes implementing his Gaza peace plan , brokering deals between Israel and Lebanon and Syria , and ultimately securing a historic Israeli-Saudi peace agreement . Whether Trump can make progress on those goals will depend in part on who governs Israel — and what kind of coalition emerges from Tuesday's vote. The intrigue: Behind the scenes over the last six months, several of Trump's top advisers have grown dissatisfied with Netanyahu on key regional priorities. Gaza: Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have expressed frustration with Netanyahu's reluctance to advance implementation of the president's peace plan. Syria: Trump's envoy Tom Barrack has similar concerns about the Netanyahu government's approach to Damascus and continued Israeli military operations in Syria. Lebanon and the West Bank: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team have a better relationship with Netanyahu, but believe Israel could do more to strengthen Lebanon's government. They are also frustrated by Netanyahu's failure to do more to curb settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Between the lines: Some U.S. officials say a new Israeli government without Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners could be easier to work with. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly declined to comment, referring Axios to Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu on Truth Social . State of play: Three major Israeli television networks released their final pre-election polls Friday, all showing Netanyahu's coalition falling well short of a parliamentary majority. All three projected just 50 seats for Netanyahu's bloc in the 120-member Knesset — 17 fewer than his current coalition holds. His Likud party, which currently holds 32 seats, was projected to win just 20. The polls gave former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc between 52 and 56 seats, with another 14 to 16 going to two Arab Israeli parties. Channel 11 also projected four seats for a reservists party unaffiliated with either bloc. Pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 was the major outlier, projecting 60 seats for his bloc and 30 for Likud in a poll earlier this week. What to watch: The polls point to a potential political deadlock: Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot appears to have a clear path to the 61 seats needed to form a government. Eisenkot would need to bring Arab Israeli parties into his coalition, which he has ruled out, or form a minority government with their outside support — an arrangement some of his potential partners oppose. A unity government between Netanyahu and his rivals is considered highly unlikely. If neither side can assemble a governing majority, Israel could face another election, with Netanyahu remaining in power as caretaker prime minister. The bottom line: Rather than ushering in a new government more receptive to Trump's agenda, Tuesday's election could leave the president dealing with a weakened Netanyahu and an Israeli political system consumed by another prolonged crisis.

In Israel, unlike in the US, the war against the Islamic Republic was broadly popular.

U.S. and Israel are planning for a possible attack on Iran, millions of Americans have voted early, judge orders President Trump to sit for deposition in BBC lawsuit.

President Donald Trump warned Thursday that the United States may launch further strikes against Iran, as Washington and Israel prepare for a possible new offensive following the November midterm elections. The post Trump Signals More Iran Strikes — ‘We May Do It a Little Bit Further’ appeared first on Breitbart .

Washington and Jerusalem are seriously weighing fresh strikes on Iran — largely to disrupt a nuclear rebuild that Tehran is now openly admitting.

Iran’s security chiefs say there will be ‘zero red lines’ if Trump and Netanyahu attack again Iran will strike oil facilities, undersea cables, datacentres and AI facilities across as many as seven countries in the Gulf in the event of a fresh US-Israeli attack, Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, has said. Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Mohammad Ghalibaf, the hardliner who led Iran’s negotiations with the US to end the conflict between the two countries, said Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed in principle on an attack, but could not guarantee a successful outcome. He added: “We see the next conflict as an existential threat. The third war in two years means a threat to existence. Our strategy is ‘zero red lines’.” Continue reading...

Israel is gearing up for an election on Oct. 27 that will effectively be a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister. This will be the first national ballot since the assault by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, the deadliest day in Israel’s history.

Plus, America’s newest national park.

Conflicting reports emerged over a planned Israeli attack on Iran as the Financial Times reported Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu ordered preparations but Donald Trump opposed the offensive, while The Jerusalem Post denied any attack was ordered or imminent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressures US President Donald Trump to resume strikes against Iran, as both leaders contend with poor polling ahead of critical elections.

Renewed hostilities might not be any more successful than the war’s first phase, and President Trump has repeatedly canceled plans for a return to major combat.