Trump Backs Netanyahu Amid Gaza Reconstruction Report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied on Monday that he had promised President Donald Trump anything in exchange for Trump’s endorsement, issued on Sunday ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 elections. The denial followed a Channel 13 report that Netanyahu had agreed to allow partial reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza report and Netanyahu’s denial

Channel 13 reported on Sunday that Netanyahu had agreed the previous week to allow partial reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The report put Gaza reconstruction at the center of questions about what Netanyahu might have offered as Trump prepared to back him in Israel’s election campaign.

Netanyahu rejected the account of a deal with Washington. In an interview with Channel 14, he denied striking an agreement. The base account provides no further details about the reported reconstruction arrangement, including its terms or how it would be carried out. Channel 13 reported the agreement; Netanyahu separately denied it in his Channel 14 interview.

The report appeared just ahead of Trump’s Sunday endorsement and Israel’s Oct. 27 elections. Still, the source doesn’t establish that the endorsement and the reported Gaza arrangement were formally connected. Netanyahu said he had promised Trump nothing in exchange for the backing.

Political contact with the White House

Diplomatic sources said Netanyahu’s associates had been in close contact with the White House for several days, pressing for Trump to endorse the prime minister. They said the endorsement could benefit both leaders. They also said that, whether or not a deal had been struck, Netanyahu may now owe Trump a political favor.

That assessment came from diplomatic sources, not from a publicly described agreement. Netanyahu denied striking a deal, while the sources described a possible political obligation arising from Trump’s endorsement. The account doesn’t identify the diplomatic sources or provide details of any exchanges between Netanyahu’s associates and the White House.

Trump discussed involvement in the election before his endorsement. On Oct. 15, Newsmax interviewer Rob Finnerty asked whether Trump intended to get involved in Israel’s elections. Trump replied, “Well, they’d like me to be. Yeah, they’d like me to be.” The base account gives no year for that Oct. 15 interview.

Trump’s comments on Netanyahu

Asked whether he trusted Netanyahu, Trump said, “I don’t trust anybody, honestly.” He stopped short of endorsing the prime minister in that interview, but described their relationship in military terms, saying they had enjoyed “a very successful partnership” in military matters.

Trump issued his Sunday endorsement after those remarks and ahead of the Oct. 27 elections. The account doesn’t specify the terms of the endorsement or report Trump publicly linking it to Gaza reconstruction. It records Netanyahu’s denial, the Channel 13 report, and the diplomatic sources’ account of political contact and a possible favor.

The central unresolved point is whether Netanyahu made any commitment concerning Gaza in connection with Trump’s support. Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu had agreed to partial reconstruction; Netanyahu denied striking a deal with Washington. The diplomatic sources said the endorsement could benefit both leaders and might leave Netanyahu owing Trump a political favor, regardless of whether a deal was struck.