Israeli Ruling Party Cancels Campaign Highlighting Trump-Netanyahu Relationship

Judged Unhelpful for the Election
Responsibility Raised After U.S.-Iran MOU

Associated Press Yonhap News Agency

Israel's ruling Likud party has reportedly canceled its previous election campaign that highlighted the close relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. This move comes in the wake of Israel being completely excluded from the process of signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for an end-of-war agreement between the United States and Iran, leading to mounting criticism that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been used by the United States.

According to Israeli media outlet i24NEWS on June 16 (local time), the Likud party has decided to scrap its campaign strategy focusing on the close ties between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. i24NEWS reported that the party has determined that emphasizing the relationship between the two leaders will not be helpful in the general election scheduled for October.

Currently in Israel, news that the United States and Iran announced the signing of an MOU excluding Israel, and even rejected Israel's request to review the MOU, has fueled criticism directed at Prime Minister Netanyahu. As a result, concerns are rising that with declining support for Netanyahu, the opposition could win the general election and bring about a change in government.

According to a recent i24NEWS poll, support for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition Yashar party and a potential next prime minister, is tied at 45%. Projections for the number of seats should the general election be held now indicate that the Likud-led ruling coalition would secure 58 seats, while the opposition coalition would gain 62 seats.

Eisenkot has strongly criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu, claiming that he has been completely used by the United States. On his social media, he posted, "The United States has a leader. But Israel has no leader. That’s all," a statement that has sparked controversy.

Meanwhile, despite the signing of the MOU between the United States and Iran, the Israeli government continues its military operations in Lebanon. According to The Times of Israel (TOI), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement that "we intercepted rockets fired by Hezbollah at our troops stationed in southern Lebanon, deployed the air force to destroy the rocket launchers, and also identified and struck a suspicious vehicle in southern Lebanon."

The Lebanese side has reported casualties resulting from Israel's offensive. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli drones struck three vehicles, resulting in at least four deaths and several injuries.

The Iranian side has warned that Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon constitute a violation of the end-of-war agreement with the United States and has called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in a briefing that "should Israel launch additional attacks on Lebanon, Iran will consider it a violation of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the end-of-war agreement," adding, "If Israeli troops do not withdraw from the territories occupied during this war, the war will not be truly over."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.