Netanyahu plays a 'Trump card' as Israeli elections near

In a tight race for re-election, Israel's prime minister has gotten a welcome lift from his friend in the White House.

Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign speeches, billboards and social media videos have all heavily featured President Donald Trump's image, statements and pro-Israel actions as endorsements of the long-seated prime minister.

Drawing inspiration from Trump, Netanyahu has dismissed a corruption case against him as a "witch hunt" and his Likud party has launched a weekly webcast to counter what it claims is "fake news" broadcast by mainstream media.

For Netanyahu, the close ties with Trump are a welcome change after eight frosty years with the Obama administration, which repeatedly clashed with the prime minister over his policies toward the Palestinians and his opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Upon taking office two years ago, Trump quickly reversed course and established a tight relationship with Netanyahu. This has yielded benefits for Netanyahu on the campaign trail.

In the run-up to Tuesday's vote, Netanyahu has hosted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, visited Trump in the White House and received American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war.

Those moves are seen as an unspoken U.S. endorsement of Netanyahu, and in Israel, having close ties with whoever occupies the White House is seen as a major asset.

Trump enjoys strong support among Israelis, 69% of whom expressed confidence in the president's ability "to do the right thing regarding world affairs," according to a Pew Research Center poll published in October.

That support largely springs from Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the opening of the US Embassy there. Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and his decision to slash U.S. aid to the Palestinians are also popular among Israelis.

A YouTube ad published April 1 strings together Trump statements from recent years extolling Netanyahu's leadership as a "great prime minister."