The Netanyahu and Trump administrations ramped up tensions with threats of resuming military strikes against Iran that would come after upcoming Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 elections in Israel and the U.S., respectively.
Prime Minister Netanyahu wanted to strike Iran earlier in October, but facing high gas prices and low polling numbers heading into the U.S. midterms, however, President Trump nixed that idea, according to various media reports.
For President Trump, results in the midterms will determine if his Republican Party maintains control or loses the majority in the House and/or the Senate. A loss in either will create problems for the president.
The New York Times reported Oct. 22 from anonymous sources a plan for a “short but intensive operation” against Iran after Nov. 3. There has also been a sizeable increase of U.S. military ships and troops in the Gulf region.
Mr. Trump has hinted the U.S. may use a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, dubbed the “mother of all bombs,” against Iran in a new strike. The bomb, a powerful non-nuclear ordnance, most likely would be used to target nuclear production sites in Iran’s mountainous regions, reports suggest.
Iran, on the other hand, has vowed to strike the regions oil facilities, data centers, AI facilities and undersea cables if an attack is launched. Israel and the U.S. started the conflict on Feb. 28 in an unprovoked attack on Iran.
Closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the war now moving into its ninth month, has caused critical shortages of oil, fertilizer and other commodities worldwide. Iran’s threat in defense of more U.S./Israeli attacks to further damage critical infrastructure would devastate the global economy.
Eyes on the elections Analysts are clear the Oct. 27 elections in Israel won’t make much difference in the direction of the war and will not ease the aggression and destruction of lives and property for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The two parties competing to form a governing coalition—Netanyahu’s Likud Party, whose coalition is currently in power, and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party—oppose an independent Palestinian state and will continue to occupy Gaza until Hamas disarms.
Muhammad Sankari of the U.S. Palestine Community Network refers to the contest as “rearranging the deck of chairs on the Titanic.”
“Whoever wins will absolutely continue the genocide against people in Gaza, continue the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and continue attempts to drive Palestinians out,” he said, adding the only change may be the name of the political party.
Mr. Netanyahu supports the settler expansion in the West Bank and the building of homes for settlers in an area known as E1 that would sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and make a two-state solution unachievable.
Mr. Eisenkot generally favors settlements but says they should comply with Israeli law. He would dismantle settlements built without authorization and he has pledged to prevent violence by settlers against Palestinians.
Both refuse to form a governing coalition with the small parties that include Israeli citizens of Palestinian descent. Neither Netanyahu’s nor Eisenkot’s coalition is expected to win the 61 seats needed for a governing coalition. If negotiations to win a majority prove fruitless, another election would be held.
Israel has had five national votes since 2019. The Oct. 27 vote will be the first in 38 years, however, to be held at the natural end of a full Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) term.
Mr. Netanyahu got a late Oct. 18 endorsement from President Trump. On the next day, Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse him even as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held an unannounced meeting with Netanyahu in Israel that analysts speculate was to discuss post-election war actions.
Issues in the campaigns Among major issues in the Israeli election: Did Mr. Netanyahu know in advance of the planned Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack? The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, in February of 2024, revealed the prime minister knew of the pending attack but allowed the Israeli citizens to be “martyred” to give him an excuse attack.
(Visit watch.noi.org to view, “What Does Allah The Great Mahdi and The Great Messiah Have To Say About The War In The Middle East?” delivered by Minister Farrakhan at Saviours’ Day 2024.)
Haaretz, the Israel-based publication revealed in a September 2026 article, “Revealed: Netanyahu Received an Explicit Warning Days Before Oct. 7.
He Didn’t Brief Israel’s Security Chiefs,” that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Mr. Netanyahu 10 days before October 7, 2023, that Hamas was planning to attack. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times also reported that other “regional allies” had warned Mr. Netanyahu in advance.
Prior to the Hamas attack which has resulted in a genocide of the Palestinians with nearly 75,000 deaths of mostly women and children in Gaza, Mr. Netanyahu was on the hot seat in his own country.
His ongoing fraud and corruption case in Israeli courts, which started in 2020, continues to hamper his campaign along with memories of large public protests the prime minister faced prior to the Gaza war for his attempts to curb the powers of Israel’s Supreme Court. The high cost of living is also an issue.
Likewise, some observers hold out little hope that significant pressure for change will be placed on Israel if U.S. Democrats win one or both houses of Congress.
Mohyeddin Abdulaziz, co-founder of the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance, said the “Zionist alliance” has oversized control of political parties in the country and handcuff politicians with financial contributions. “We must have a new generation of leaders, which the American people say they want, they want change in U.S. policies toward Israel,” he said.
Morgan State University professor Wilmer Leon said Black leadership in the Democratic Party must be more vocal against the genocide occurring in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank.
He referenced words from leaders like Zehut Party member Moshe Feiglin who has described the killing of Palestinian infants in Gaza as a “moral” response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“When someone in the government says their moral obligation is to kill Palestinian babies, you can’t negotiate that. You’re dealing with inhumanity. That’s the true definition of genocide,” said Professor Leon. “Where do Black elected officials that are on the AIPAC payroll stand on that issue?” he asked.
