President Trump weighed in on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s last-ditch attempts to form a coalition, just days before the government is set to dissolve if he fails.
Trump, in a post on Twitter Monday during his visit in Japan, said he hopes the country will be able to form a coalition and threw his support behind Netanyahu, referring to him by his nickname “Bibi.”
{mosads}“Hoping things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever,” Trump wrote Monday. “A lot more to do!”
Netanyahu last month was reelected to a fifth term as prime minister but has struggled to form a government while facing potential corruption indictments, as well as disagreements among the right-wing parties his coalition would depend on.
Reuters reports the Israeli parliament decided to dissolve itself in a preliminary vote but are likely to hold a final vote on the matter Wednesday.
If Netanyahu is unable to form a new government by the deadline, Israel would have a second national election in the same year, an unprecedented occurrence, Reuters notes.
Trump and Netanyahu have enjoyed a strong political relationship since Trump took the White House. Trump congratulated Netanyahu on his recent election victory and said it raises the prospects of achieving peace in the Middle East.