Trump leaves Netanyahu endorsement hanging with pointed warning ahead of crucial election

President Donald Trump signaled he is likely to back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel’s upcoming elections, dangling a potentially powerful endorsement even as he has been at odds with the Israeli leader publicly over the tensions in Iran and Lebanon.

“I’ll have to look at who’s running, but I like Bibi very much. I would be most likely to endorse him,” Trump said in an interview with Israeli public broadcaster KAN News, using Netanyahu’s nickname, the Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.

“But I need to see who is running,” Trump added. “I have a good relationship with Bibi, but he needs to be more rational. I am willing to meet with him. He’s doing a very good job; he’s got to be a little bit more rational.”

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The remarks came as Trump has offered increasingly pointed criticism of his longtime political ally, while the U.S. pushes ahead with Middle East diplomacy involving Iran and Lebanon.

Axios reported earlier this month that Trump lashed out at Netanyahu during a call over Israel’s actions in Lebanon, with one U.S. official summarizing Trump’s message as calling the Israeli leader “f—ing crazy.” Trump later confirmed in an interview on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast that he made the remark, while also saying he likes Netanyahu and works “very well” with him.

The tensions flared again after an Israeli strike in Beirut nearly complicated the signing of the U.S.-Iran deal. Trump told Axios he was “so pissed off” over the strike and said Netanyahu had “no f—ing judgment,” while still insisting the Iran agreement remained on track.

On Wednesday, Trump described recent tensions between he and Netanyahu as a “little dispute” over Lebanon and suggested the Israeli leader “gets a little excited sometimes,” according to the report.

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“I say you can do a little softer touch, maybe you don’t need to bring down a building every time a Hezbollah member walks into it,” Trump also said Wednesday about the Israeli leader.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has repeatedly highlighted his relationship with Trump in official remarks, calling him “our great friend” and “my personal friend,” and saying the two leaders “speak almost every day” and “decid[e] together,” according to statements released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

Vice President JD Vance addressed concerns over Iran in an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, saying the U.S. would not lift sanctions if Tehran continues funding terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah.

“They assume that everything that is contemplated that is good for Iran will happen — but that will happen without the Iranians changing any behavior,” Vance said, referring to what he described as a “weird panic” in Israel over the Iran deal.

“That’s not how the deal is written,” Vance added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Israeli embassy for comment.