Magal stunned by Trump letter backing Netanyahu for reelection

Israeli radio host Yinon Magal of 103fm responded Monday to the public endorsement letter President Donald Trump sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the American president called on Israelis to vote for the prime minister in the upcoming election.

Magal expressed astonishment at the letter, saying: "I've never seen anything like this in my life. This is not something to take lightly. Trump is saying this is a prime minister who worked under enormous pressure, and not only did he not collapse, he thrived. I don't know how Netanyahu stands up to this event, including during wartime."

Trump opened his message Sunday night by calling Netanyahu a "fighting prime minister" and describing his struggle against Iran as critical to Israel's survival: "To the great people of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu has been a great Prime Minister and Fighter, and an even greater Partner for Peace in the fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51-year-old Chant: 'Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Great Satan.'"

The president went on to describe how Israel faced an existential threat that might have been realized without the joint actions he and Netanyahu took, and that the two still have work to finish in the campaign against Tehran: "What Country can survive when it is allowed to say things like this, because in the end, they always turn out to be true? It was only a matter of time before Iran would have carried out this unthinkable expression, but it has been systematically destroyed, both militarily and financially, and unless they change their ways quickly, we will finish the job soon."

He also hinted strongly that without Netanyahu, the mission would not be completed: "If Israel has the wrong Leader, which is anyone other than Bibi, America will be forced to do this job ourselves, and I am not inclined to do that."