While U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the general election, dissent is growing among his aides who instead advocate preparing for a "post-prime minister" era.

Aides are factoring in the possibility that someone other than Netanyahu could take power and are exploring opportunities to cooperate with a new Israeli government following the election, U.S. online media outlet Axios reported on October 24 local time.

According to sources familiar with the matter, many of the top White House aides recently opposed President Trump's decision to endorse Netanyahu.

In particular, U.S. Vice President JD Vance is reportedly among the senior U.S. officials who grew "disillusioned" with Netanyahu during the course of the wars between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, according to Axios.

Vance and other senior aides reportedly concluded that the regional situation assessments conveyed by Netanyahu to the White House prior to the Iran war were flawed, fueling a deep distrust of him.

While speaking to reporters at a federal event in Ohio on October 21, Vice President Vance sidestepped related questions, saying, "I am neither attacking nor supporting Netanyahu. What matters is the President's endorsement."

Other key aides are also harboring growing frustrations with Netanyahu regarding regional pending issues, Axios reported.

Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have pointed out that Netanyahu has been passive in implementing President Trump's Gaza peace initiative.

White House Special Envoy for Syria and Lebanon Tom Barrack is also reportedly expressing concern over the Netanyahu government's continued military operations in Syria.

While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintains a relatively good relationship with Netanyahu, observations suggest he is frustrated by Israel's passive response on the issues of the West Bank and Lebanon.

Furthermore, some U.S. officials believe that cooperation between the U.S. and Israel could become smoother if a new Israeli government comes to power that excludes Netanyahu's far-right coalition forces.

The analysis suggests that the defeat of the far-right coalition government could instead present an opportunity to advance President Trump's Middle East initiative in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon.

Indeed, the current electoral landscape is not easy for Netanyahu.

In the final pre-election polls released on October 23 by three major Israeli broadcasting networks, the projected seat count for the coalition led by Netanyahu fell well short of a parliamentary majority.

All three broadcasters projected that Netanyahu's camp would secure only 50 out of the total 120 seats in the Israeli parliament (Knesset), which is 17 fewer seats than the 67 currently held by the ruling coalition.

However, uncertainties in Israel's political arena remain as the opposition bloc led by former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot is also projected to fall short of a majority.

If both sides fail to secure a majority and also fail to form a coalition government, Israel could face yet another election, in which case Netanyahu would continue to govern as prime minister of a caretaker government.

In this regard, a U.S. official pointed out that President Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu could serve as a "win-win strategy" from the president's perspective.

Should Netanyahu remain in power, President Trump could claim his endorsement influenced the victory and pressure Israel for concessions, while if power changes hands, establishing a friendly relationship with the new leadership would suffice.

Describing President Trump's perspective on Netanyahu, one aide remarked, "He's the devil Trump already knows."

Furthermore, the results of the Israeli general election are expected to impact the potential resumption of the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.

While Netanyahu strongly demands the resumption of strikes against Iran, opposition figure former Chief of Staff Eisenkot is known to advocate for a cessation of hostilities.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)