Benjamin Netanyahu Warns Israel May Face a 'Hostile' US President After Donald Trump Leaves Office

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel could face a 'hostile' US president after Donald Trump leaves office, and says the country must use what he described as the two years it has left with the current administration.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Sunday, 18 October 2026, Netanyahu outlined his security strategy and stressed the importance of strengthening Israel's international alliances.

His warning comes as Israel prepares for a parliamentary election on 27 October. Netanyahu argued that the country must use the remaining period of Trump's presidency to advance its security priorities. He also questioned how a future Israeli leader would manage relations with a less supportive administration in Washington.

'There is a window of another two years with President Trump, and one of the questions in these elections is who will work with Trump? Who will complete the remaining work?' Netanyahu said.

The remarks linked Israel's longer-term security planning with the immediate political contest. Netanyahu presented continued cooperation with Trump as an opportunity to advance objectives that could become harder to achieve under a future US administration.

According to The Jerusalem Post's report on Netanyahu's security doctrine, he said he was already working to establish stronger alliances with countries across the Middle East and beyond. He specifically cited India and indicated that other countries were also involved.

Netanyahu Sets Out Strategy on Iran and Alliances

Netanyahu said Israel needed to prepare for changing international circumstances rather than rely on the current relationship with Washington. He argued that the country should act while relations were favourable and continue preparing for less favourable conditions.

'We need to do the best we can during these two years – and in the two years afterward – to act when things are good and even if things are bad,' he said.

Turning to Iran, Netanyahu declared that his government remained committed to removing the country's ruling regime. His remarks outlined an objective, but they did not independently establish whether that outcome was achievable or what steps would be taken.

'It cannot remain in power. It simply cannot, and I am committed to bringing it down,' Netanyahu said.

He claimed that economic difficulties were increasing pressure on Iranian citizens. He attributed the pressure to US sanctions and a blockade under the Trump administration. Those explanations, and his assessment of emerging unrest, should be understood as Netanyahu's claims rather than independently verified conclusions.

Netanyahu also said Israel had developed a comprehensive plan to bring down Iran's regime. He stated that instructions had been issued to the country's security agencies, without publicly establishing the plan's operational details.

He added that Israel would act independently if necessary, including against threats connected with Iran's nuclear programme and leadership. His comments indicated that he wanted Israel to retain the capacity to act without depending entirely on US assistance.

The remarks also highlighted the wider diplomatic challenge facing Israel. Strengthening international partnerships could help support its security objectives, although Netanyahu did not provide details establishing how individual countries would respond to future developments.

Settler Violence and West Bank Tensions

Netanyahu also addressed violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The comments followed separate incidents involving Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine and European diplomats.

Levine was seriously injured in an attack near Abu Falah on Friday, 16 October. A day later, European diplomats and others were attacked near Taybeh. The incidents drew international criticism and renewed attention to settler violence during the Palestinian olive harvest.

The Associated Press reported on 19 October that Israeli police had arrested 10 people in connection with the wider wave of violence. Police said the investigation involved several security bodies, including Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency. The reported arrests do not, by themselves, establish the guilt of any individual suspect.

Netanyahu said the issue was being 'greatly exaggerated,' while also condemning the rioters' conduct. He described their actions as unacceptable and said he had brought Shin Bet into the matter. He also promised further measures to address the violence.

His comments placed two positions side by side: a rejection of the scale of the criticism and an acknowledgement that the conduct required action. The distinction matters because the reported attacks and injuries are separate from Netanyahu's assessment of the political debate surrounding them.

No Palestinian State in Expanded Abraham Accords

On the Abraham Accords, Netanyahu said expanding normalisation agreements with additional Arab countries remained a priority. However, he ruled out an agreement that would establish a Palestinian state.

'That is off the table,' he said, arguing that a Palestinian state would threaten Israel's security. These remarks reflect Netanyahu's stated political position, rather than an independently established assessment of every possible future agreement.

Netanyahu also addressed relations with Turkey. He said he hoped to avoid a direct confrontation and would welcome a return to the closer relationship the two countries had previously maintained. However, he expressed doubt that relations would improve under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Netanyahu cited Erdogan's statements about Israel as a reason for concern and said Israel was considering different possible scenarios. He did not suggest that a confrontation was inevitable.

Taken together, the remarks set out Netanyahu's priorities on Iran, regional alliances, Palestinian statehood and relations with Turkey. His central warning was that Israel should use the remaining period of Trump's presidency to advance its objectives while preparing for a potentially less favourable political environment in Washington.