Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her “convincing election victory” in snap elections on Feb. 8.
“I look forward to working with Prime [Minister] Takaichi to further strengthen the strong relations between Japan and Israel,” Netanyahu said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 10, 2026
"Congratulations to Prime Minister, @takaichi_sanae, on a convincing election victory. I look forward to working with Prime Minisiter Takaichi to further strengthen the strong relations between Japan and Israel."
The Liberal Democratic Party led by Japan’s first-ever female prime minister won 316 of 465 seats in the lower house of parliament, giving it a two‑thirds supermajority, while the broader ruling coalition with the Japan Innovation Party secured 352 seats.
Takaichi, 64, is seen as a staunchly pro-Western conservative who wants to deepen Japan’s security alignment with the United States and other democracies and has been viewed in Israel as sympathetic to its position in the Middle East.
“Congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Coalition on a LANDSLIDE Victory in today’s very important Vote,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Takaichi, who took office last October, winning a party leadership contest against Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, called for snap elections on Jan. 23, hoping to capitalize on her Cabinet’s high approval ratings.
The tactic, familiar to Japanese politics, in which the prime minister dissolves the House of Representatives to call snap elections under favorable conditions to secure a stable mandate, was refined by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and is referred to as the “Abe style” of dissolution, according to East Asia Forum.
