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Ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 national vote, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election bid, calling him a «great warrior,» an «even greater partner for peace» and an ally in the confrontation with Iran.

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The backing could give Israel’s longest-serving prime minister a boost ahead of the country’s first national vote since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. The election is widely viewed in Israel as a referendum on whether to grant Netanyahu another term to pursue his war objectives, including disarming Hamas and Hezbollah and countering the nuclear threat from the Islamic Republic.

In response, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his «extraordinary endorsement.» «Together we will never let Iran’s regime get nuclear weapons,» he said.

TRUMP SAYS NETANYAHU NEEDS TO BE RE-ELECTED, OR ELSE US WILL HAVE TO ‘FINISH THE JOB’ AGAINST IRAN ALONE

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President Donald Trump speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct. 13, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel. President Trump visited the country hours after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023, part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Addressing the endorsement, Doron Spielman, international spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, told Fox News Digital that no personal or professional bond in the history of U.S.-Israel relations compares with the current partnership.

«Israel and the U.S. have stood together as the two countries bearing the torch for the West, and that is a direct result of the incredible relationship between President Trump and Netanyahu,» he said.

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He reiterated Netanyahu’s long-standing foreign-policy priority and central campaign promise: ensuring that Iran does not acquire atomic bombs under his watch.

«Israel prefers to do this with the U.S., which has been our greatest ally and friend, and who has already entered the front with us twice. But already at the time of Operation Rising Lion, Israel showed that it was willing to act alone. Israel acted for over a week before the U.S. joined,» he said, in reference to the June 2025 military mission against Iran.

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, with roughly 20 years in office, Netanyahu began his diplomatic career in 1982 as deputy chief of mission at Israel’s embassy in Washington, D.C. He served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988 before entering politics with Likud. He became the party’s chairman in 1993 and was first elected premier in 1996.

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After losing the 1999 election, Netanyahu returned to government in 2002 as foreign minister and later served as finance minister. He returned to the premiership in 2009, serving until 2021 and again from late 2022. He is widely credited with liberalizing Israel’s economy and helping transform the country into a global high-tech hub.

FORMER ISRAELI ARMY CHIEF GADI EISENKOT EMERGES AS NETANYAHU’S LEADING ELECTION CHALLENGER

Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a session at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, before it dissolves ahead of the 2026 Israeli elections, in Jerusalem, July 16, 2026.  (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

Netanyahu’s current political allies include Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism-Zehut, and the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. The newcomer Amcha Yisrael, led by Ofer Winter, could also join the bloc, although Winter is currently feuding with Likud over concerns that his party, which is hovering near the electoral threshold, could split the right-wing vote and potentially «waste» tens of thousands of ballots.

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According to most Hebrew-language media polls, neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot currently has a clear path to securing the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a government.

If no candidate can assemble a governing coalition, Israel could head to another election, repeating the cycle of political instability that saw the country hold four national votes between April 2019 and March 2021.

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that any incoming government will face the same formidable security challenges as the current one, with few prospects for quick victories.

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A woman reacts as the community of Kibbutz Kfar Aza commemorates their members who were killed, taken hostage and who died in captivity, following the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas terrorists, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, southern Israel, Oct. 16, 2025. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)

«The major challenge in this election will be what Netanyahu discussed in terms of adjusting the national security concept to prioritize prevention. That means taking very serious, assertive and aggressive military counterterrorism and nonmilitary actions against our enemies,» Diker said.

The Israeli left, center and even far-right believe Netanyahu has failed to meet the expectations associated with his image as «Mr. Security,» according to professor Tamar Hermann, a senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute.

ISRAEL DRILLS FOR SURPRISE ATTACK WITH MASSIVE MILITARY EXERCISE AS EXPERT INVOKES 1973 WAR

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«He promised to topple the Iranian regime, he promised to dismantle Hamas, he promised to crush Hezbollah. None of it was achieved,» Hermann told Fox News Digital. «He gave a green light to not punishing vigilantes in the settlements who act against Palestinians. He also gave too much to the ultra-Orthodox parties, giving up on the idea of universal conscription.»

Hermann said that Netanyahu’s current term has been his least successful, beginning with the judicial reform push, which triggered mass protests in 2023, and followed by the Palestinian terror attacks on Oct. 7. Netanyahu subsequently faced public anger over his handling of the hostage crisis, although, in coordination with Trump and his envoys, he ultimately secured the return of all the captives.

Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«In the eyes of some, his legacy will be that he inflicted a huge disaster upon Israel in terms of what happened to civilians on Oct. 7 and the deterioration of Israel’s international image,» she said.

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Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, framed the upcoming election in terms of legacy and how Netanyahu will be remembered 50 years from now.

«There are two types of leaders: leaders in history and leaders of history,» he told Fox News Digital. «There are leaders who go into office and perform as best they can, and there are leaders who go into office and see themselves as transformative, as having a historical role like Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt or Churchill. Benjamin Netanyahu belongs to this category.»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands on a platform overlooking the Gaza Strip during his first visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas terrorists, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Oren said Netanyahu sees his mission as saving Israel from existential threats, foremost among them Iran, a goal he has yet to achieve.

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«He is willing to endure virtually limitless criticism and condemnation around the world, as well as mass demonstrations against him, to fulfill this one role,» he said. «To understand that is to understand Benjamin Netanyahu: He is a leader of history.»

Amelie Botbol is a freelance field reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel, who reports on Israel-related news.

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Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., accused President Donald Trump’s Justice Department of trying to subvert elections through its lawsuit over Alaska’s unusual Senate ballot, even as Republicans allege Democrats have propped up a Senate candidate with the same name as the GOP nominee to confuse voters.

Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R- Alaska, is running against Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who has no party affiliation. State courts ultimately allowed the second Dan Sullivan to remain on the ballot. Schiff argued the Justice Department has no business stepping into a matter Alaska’s courts have already settled. Republicans contend Daniel Sullivan entered the race to draw votes away from the incumbent and help former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola — a claim the now- Senate candidate and her campaign deny.

«They don’t have standing to bring this kind of a suit. It’s not the federal government’s business to run Alaskan elections. It’s Alaska’s business to do that,» Schiff told NBC News on Sunday.

«They have already adjudicated this question, and the Justice Department knows this, but it just shows how complicit they are now in the Trump campaign to try to subvert the elections.»

ALASKA SENATE RACE’S ABSURD NAME PROBLEM GETS EVEN HARDER TO UNTANGLE

Schiff has long been one of Trump’s most prominent adversaries, serving as the lead House impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment trial and later sitting on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The Burbank Democrat has repeatedly accused Trump of undermining democratic institutions and election integrity, making his attack on the Justice Department the latest volley in a yearslong political and legal feud.

Schiff drew a comparison to Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election, arguing that senior Justice Department officials at the time, including Attorney General William Barr refused to support efforts to overturn the results — while accusing current DOJ leadership of being willing to go further.

«This time, with [Attorney General Todd] Blanche, they are all in on this disgraceful campaign,» Schiff said, predicting the case in the Last Frontier has «no chance of succeeding.»

The allegations come as candidate Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg received enough votes in Alaska’s unique primary system to appear beside Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, on the general election ballot — along with Democratic challenger and former Rep. Mary Peltola.

COURT KEEPS ‘DECOY DAN’ ON ALASKA BALLOT AS EXPERT WARNS RANKED-CHOICE SYSTEM CREATES VOTER ‘TRAPS’

State election officials initially disqualified the Petersburg Sullivan after raising concerns that his candidacy was intended to confuse voters, citing his requested ballot name, recent party registration and similarities between campaign materials.

An Alaska Superior Court judge overturned the state’s decision to disqualify Petersburg Sullivan, allowing the namesake candidate to remain on the ballot despite election officials’ concerns about voter deception. The Alaska Supreme Court subsequently upheld that ruling, resolving the state ballot-access dispute, though DOJ is now pursuing a separate federal challenge in the event Petersburg Sullivan’s candidacy could alter the election’s outcome.

TODD BLANCHE CHALLENGES DANA BASH FOR ONLY CITING PART OF CONSTITUTION DURING HEATED ELECTION CLASH

Blanche’s DOJ filed suit last week after the state proceedings concluded, arguing that the namesake candidacy could mislead voters and seeking to delay certification if votes for Petersburg Sullivan could affect the result.

The department’s complaint, however, asks the court to prevent certification under a specific scenario: if incumbent Senator Sullivan loses but would have won had votes cast for Petersburg Sullivan gone to him instead. DOJ seeks to delay certification in that circumstance pending an investigation into whether voters intended to support the incumbent.

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the lawsuit Sunday, citing federal election law, while Schiff argued that the state had already adjudicated the dispute.

«The sole purpose of his candidacy is to benefit the Peltola campaign by reducing the number of votes for Senator Sullivan,» DOJ’s filing read in part, while also citing a letter from Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher alleging Petersburg Sullivan’s declaration of candidacy was not properly filed because it was not intended to declare an actual good-faith candidacy.

GOP SENATOR, EX-HOUSE DEM EMERGE FROM ALASKA’S ‘JUNGLE PRIMARY’ DESPITE FAR-LEFT MEDDLING

The filing also included a side-by-side comparison of Petersburg Sullivan’s dark blue campaign banner featuring a star and Senator Sullivan’s campaign banner featuring the Big Dipper — a reference to the constellation depicted on Alaska’s flag.

When reached for comment, the DOJ provided Blanche’s defense of the suit, which highlighted that the agency does «not seek to stop any ballot from being cast or to stop the certification of Alaska’s election.»

«This litigation seeks to ensure that after Alaskans cast their ballots, they are preserved in a manner so that only Alaska’s governing officials have the information necessary to make a determination as to whether Alaskan voters were confused or mislead,» Blanche said.

«The lawsuit was written by Justice Department attorneys and the Department did not coordinate with any campaign or candidate, but rather relied solely on federal law.»

The case cited the National Voter Registration Act, which expressly identifies protecting election integrity as one of its purposes.

When asked about the accusation from Schiff, the White House provided recent comments from Trump saying he «recommended» DOJ file the suit and that Petersburg Sullivan was put «up as a matter of confusion.»

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«I think it’s a disgrace,» Trump said.

Peltola placed first in the August primary, followed by Senator Sullivan and Petersburg Sullivan. Palmer drywall contractor Gerald Heikes, a Republican, will appear as the fourth candidate on the ballot after a Democrat who placed ahead of him withdrew.

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Las lluvias extraordinarias asociadas al fenómeno de El Niño han dejado tres personas fallecidas y 30.534 impactadas en Ecuador desde finales de agosto, en medio de una sucesión de inundaciones, deslizamientos y desbordamientos de ríos que han alcanzado a 23 de las 24 provincias del país. La emergencia ocurre durante un período habitualmente seco en varias localidades de la región costera y mantiene bajo vigilancia a las autoridades ante la posibilidad de nuevas precipitaciones.

Según la información de la Secretaría Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos (SNGR), el balance acumulado hasta el 25 de octubre registra 629 eventos adversos, con 28.276 personas afectadas y otras 2.258 damnificadas. Los incidentes también han ocasionado daños en 7.618 viviendas, la destrucción de otras 20 y afectaciones en infraestructura vial y puentes.

Las provincias costeras concentran las principales consecuencias. Esmeraldas registra 17.924 personas impactadas, mientras Guayas contabiliza 7.640. Ambas reúnen aproximadamente el 83 % del total nacional. Les siguen Los Ríos, con 2.292 personas; El Oro, con 882; y Manabí, con 540. Los tres fallecimientos reportados corresponden a dos personas en Azuay y una en El Oro.

Las emergencias continuaron durante el fin de semana. En Balao y Tenguel, provincia de Guayas, el desbordamiento de ríos provocó inundaciones en viviendas y calles. En determinados sectores, el agua alcanzó niveles que dificultaron la circulación de los habitantes. En la comunidad Virgen del Cisne, perteneciente a Tenguel, las estimaciones preliminares señalaron afectaciones para aproximadamente 300 familias.

Durante la madrugada del lunes 26 de octubre, nuevas precipitaciones ocasionaron inundaciones en varios sectores de Manta, provincia de Manabí. Los reportes locales identificaron problemas en Costa Azul, Tarqui y Jocay, además de daños en instalaciones de la terminal terrestre y un mercado. Algunas instituciones educativas suspendieron preventivamente sus actividades debido a las condiciones meteorológicas.

En Azuay, un deslizamiento registrado en la comunidad de Zhumiral, cantón Camilo Ponce Enríquez, obligó a evacuar preventivamente a 15 personas pertenecientes a cuatro familias, que fueron trasladadas a un alojamiento temporal.

La magnitud de las precipitaciones también se refleja en los registros meteorológicos. Según información difundida por Primicias, la estación de Milagro, en Guayas, acumuló 195,9 milímetros de lluvia hasta el 20 de octubre, frente a una normal climatológica mensual de apenas 4,2 milímetros. El volumen registrado equivale aproximadamente a 46 veces el promedio habitual para ese mes.

Los registros disponibles también identifican precipitaciones extraordinarias en Guayaquil, Portoviejo y La Maná. Estas anomalías evidencian la alteración del comportamiento estacional de las lluvias, aunque su intensidad y distribución varían considerablemente entre localidades.

El Comité Nacional para el Estudio Regional del Fenómeno de El Niño declaró oficialmente la presencia del evento a finales de agosto. Posteriormente, la Secretaría de Gestión de Riesgos estableció la alerta roja nacional mediante una resolución del 29 de agosto. Los informes técnicos posteriores confirmaron la continuidad y fortalecimiento del fenómeno.

De acuerdo con los registros oficiales, las inundaciones representan la mayoría de los eventos adversos contabilizados, seguidas por deslizamientos, vendavales y lluvias intensas. Las consecuencias incluyen interrupciones de movilidad, daños materiales y desplazamientos temporales de familias.

La secretaria nacional de Gestión de Riesgos, Carolina Lozano, ha señalado que aproximadamente 1,3 millones de personas podrían encontrarse expuestas a los efectos del fenómeno. Las proyecciones institucionales contemplan hasta 145.523 potenciales damnificados, cifras que corresponden a escenarios preventivos y no al balance de víctimas registrado.

El Gobierno ecuatoriano ha previsto un presupuesto interinstitucional de aproximadamente USD 650 millones para acciones de prevención, reducción del riesgo y respuesta. Entretanto, los organismos técnicos mantienen el seguimiento de las condiciones oceánicas y atmosféricas, particularmente ante noviembre y diciembre, meses durante los cuales se prevé una mayor madurez del evento.

Las autoridades continúan evaluando los daños y actualizando los reportes territoriales. Las emergencias registradas durante el 26 de octubre podrían modificar las cifras nacionales, mientras las comunidades afectadas enfrentan nuevas precipitaciones antes del inicio habitual de la temporada lluviosa en la Costa ecuatoriana.

corresponsal:Desde Quito