Israeli PM Netanyahu warns of potentially hostile future U.S. President, calls for alliances with India, Latin America
The Hindu – International
You are logged in
Loading…
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one.
Your active subscription(s)
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials,
Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Products you’ve access to
Additional Subscription Benefits
Account Settings
Need help with your subscription?
Weather News October 18, 2026 e-Paper
The View From India
Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.
First Day First Show
News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.
Today's Cache
Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.
Science For All
The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in!
Data Point
Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers
THEdge
At the cutting edge of education and careers
Health Matters
Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there
Gender Agenda
Stories from beyond the binary.
The Hindu On Books
Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.
Weather News October 18, 2026 e-Paper
Published – October 19, 2026 01:55 am IST – Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets members of the public, ahead of Israel’s national election, in Yokneam Illit, Israel, October 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (October 18, 2026) warned that a future U.S. President could be hostile towards Israel, calling for new alliances with countries such as India and those in Latin America to strengthen his country's position.
Mr. Netanyahu made the remarks at an event where he presented his security doctrine, nine days before Israel's October 27 election.
The remarks came hours before a strong endorsement he received from U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly expressed his support for Mr. Netanyahu's re-election bid days before the country goes to the polls.
"In two years, a President, man or woman, could come to power who is very hostile to Israel," Mr. Netanyahu said.
"How would you deal with that? How would you operate in relation to the United States? And beyond that, what solutions would be necessary?", he questioned.
The Israeli Premier stressed that Israel must use the remaining years of Trump's presidency to strengthen its position while preparing for a potentially dramatic shift in American policy.
"First, we must do everything we can during these two years, and during the following two years, in the American arena, through good times and bad," he said.
"The second thing is to create other alliances. That is what I am working on now with many countries in our region and outside it. India is not a small country, and there are many others," the Israeli Prime Minister emphasised.
He pointed to political developments in Latin America as another opportunity to expand Israel's network of allies.
"There is a major shift in Latin America, and there could be an enormous change in Brazil in just a few days," Mr. Netanyahu pointed out adding, "We must expand our pool of alliances and develop capabilities that make us valuable to everyone."
Mr. Netanyahu has often evoked India and his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to argue that Israel is not isolated globally and to demonstrate his government's diplomatic successes.
Countering issues of delegitimisation and alliances amid a prolonged war, Mr. Netanyahu, in May this year, in a much publicised statement, said that his country enjoys a "unique relationship" with "huge power" India where there is "crazy love" for Israel.
Many analysts in Israel feel that the growing apathy among Democrats in the U.S. results from poor choices Mr. Netanyahu made over the years.
His relations with Democratic Party-led Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden were often tense, which he presented to his supporters as the courage of a strong leader willing to stand up against American Presidents to safeguard Israel's interests, the analysts believe.
This has been a cornerstone of Mr. Netanyahu's election campaigns and a recipe for electoral success, they said. He is Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister.
Gadi Eisenkot, the main challenger to the Israeli Prime Minister in the upcoming polls, sharply criticised the presentation, describing it as an empty political exercise rather than a serious national security strategy.
"Nine days before the election and three years after the gravest failure and disaster in Israel's history, with every war front still open, Netanyahu decided to present his 'security doctrine' to the public," Mr. Eisenkot said.
"Two hollow pages, full of slogans that have nothing whatsoever to do with a security doctrine, reveal more than anything the strategic vacuum Mr. Netanyahu has left the State of Israel in and his disregard for the security of Israeli citizens," he asserted.
Mr. Eisenkot, a former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces, accused Mr. Netanyahu of attempting to manipulate public opinion and spread fear ahead of the election.
"This is Mr. Netanyahu's method: manipulating perceptions, frightening people and trying to divert attention from the parade of lies and racism surrounding his campaign tonight," he said.
Published – October 19, 2026 01:55 am IST
Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
BACK TO TOP
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
Fonte: The Hindu – International