Israeli government officials came out in force to congratulate President Donald J Trump on his election victory on November 6 following his shock win against now-outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Polling data aggregator RealClearPolitics called the election in Trump’s favour, handing him the 270 electoral votes he required to win by 04:00 Eastern Standard Time on November 6, with several key battleground states still set to be decided.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump and his wife, Melania, via a post on X, clearly voicing his satisfaction with the election outcome. “Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory! In true friendship, yours, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu.”

Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who is set to become Israel’s new defence minister following Netanyahu’s dismissal of Yoav Gallant on the evening of November 5, also extended his good wishes to Trump.

“Congratulations to President-Elect @realDonaldTrump on his historic victory. Together, we'll strengthen the US-Israel alliance, bring back the hostages, and stand firm to defeat the axis of evil led by Iran,” Katz stated, revealing his hopes that a Trump presidency will strengthen US-Israel ties while enabling an Israeli victory over Iran following a series of strikes between the two nations as well as the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog congratulated Trump for his victory on the morning of November 6, stating: “I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ironclad bond between our peoples, to build a future of peace and security for the Middle East, and to uphold our shared values. On behalf of the Jewish and democratic State of Israel and all our people, I wish you much success.”

Before becoming Israel’s President in 2021, Herzog ran against Netanyahu in the 2015 Israeli legislative election after being elected the leader of the centre-left Zionist Union political alliance. Herzog’s well wishes signify a warm reception for Trump from both sides of the Israeli political aisle.

Beyond Israel’s political leaders, it appears as if the Israeli public at large is supportive of Trump over Harris. A survey conducted by Israel’s Channel 12 found that 66% of respondents prefer Trump over Harris, with 93% of voters from Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition expressing support for the 47th US President.

Less than 24 hours before election polls in the US opened, the Israel Democracy Institute ran a survey that found that around 72% of Jewish Israelis believe that Trump’s government would better advance Israel’s interests, while only 11% felt that a Harris administration would be more beneficial. Around 46% of Israeli Arabs surveyed expressed no preference between the two candidates, while 27% preferred Trump and 22.5% chose Harris.

US support for Israel has remained consistent during the ongoing Middle East crisis; however, it could be argued that a Trump presidency would strengthen US support for the Jewish state.

In contrast to being previously surrounded by staunch pro-Israel team members, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, previous US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump has advanced several initiatives aimed at enforcing Israel’s security interests. These include the Abraham Accords, which saw Israel sign a peace treaty with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. He also made the contentious decision to relocate the US Embassy to Jerusalem.

Still, while the outgoing Biden administration may not have been as outward with its support, it has retained close ties with the Israeli government, including sending a record number of weapons to the Netanyahu regime in its wars with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon which has left more than 44,000 people dead on all sides since October 7, 2023.

While visiting the region to push for a ceasefire deal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, serving under the Biden administration, expressed a hope for the establishment of Israel-Saudi normalisation, a hot topic that will be closely monitored as Trump enters the White House, along with the incoming president’s handling of the ongoing Middle East conflict.