Trump Endorsed Netanyahu Ahead of the Israeli Elections. JD Vance is Not Following Suit.

Vice President JD Vance refrained from endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli elections, a decision that stands in contrast with that of President Donald Trump.

Speaking on Mark Halperin's 2WAY Tonight, Vance said that Trump "has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history."

He went on to say that he was not "anti-endorsing" or "pro-endorsing" Netanyahu because he was "not getting involved in Israeli elections."

Trump, on his end, endorsed Netanyahu during the weekend, calling him a "Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Netanyahu released a video responding to the endorsement, thanking Trump for the support and echoing his message about the strength of their partnership against Iran.

The Israeli prime minister told the president that "there has never been a greater friend of Israel's in the White House" and claimed that "America has been fortunate to have a leader of conviction, of clarity, of courage who faces down this [Iranian] threat to America and to Israel."

Netanyahu's main electoral rival, the Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, criticized the move by the president, telling students during an event at Tel Aviv University that, while he has great "appreciation" for Trump, "Israel's citizens are the only ones who will decide who the prime minister will be."

Recent polls by Israeli media outlets such as Maariv, Channel 12, Channel 13 and KAN News all show Eisenkot's Yashar pulling ahead of Netanyahu's Likud party.

However, none of these polls show either of the two main electoral coalitions, the current governing coalition and the opposition coalition (of which Eisenkot is a part), securing a majority of 61 seats in the Israeli Knesset. Instead, an average of the four surveys show the two blocs are virtually tied at about 51 seats apiece.

Netanyahu has also addressed the possibility of resuming the war, saying that toppling the regime continues to be a key goal of Israel and he has directed agencies to pursue it. "We must bring this regime down once and for all," he said.

Netanyahu, however, has also said he doesn't believe it's convenient to strike Iran before the elections. "In my opinion, that is not convenient for us," he said when speaking to Army Radio last week.