Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political opponents have taken advantage of the Democratic Party's success in the U.S. Congress, claiming that this proves Netanyahu has "wasted the support that two parties in America have given Israel for generations"; they are seeking an opportunity to form a government without Netanyahu.
In the mid-term elections on the 3rd, the Democratic Party won majority seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This was a severe criticism of Trump, partly due to public dissatisfaction with the unpopular U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Reuters said that the United States has been Israel's most steadfast ally for generations. Since the 1970s, the U.S. has provided Israel with billions of dollars in military assistance each year under the administrations of both Democrats and Republicans. However, unlike previous leaders who sought support from Democrats and Republicans, Netanyahu openly supports the Republican Party.
Since Israel launched a military attack on Gaza in 2023, support for Israel among Democrats and some Republicans has watered. This support has further declined since Trump and Netanyahu ordered a joint attack against Iran this year. Some Democratic candidates will use criticism of U.S. military assistance to Israel as an important campaigning issue.
On the 3rd, Trump, who once supported Netanyahu, promised to stop providing $4 billion in funding to Israel on election day. He said this move would eliminate the ‘bad rhetoric’ used by Democrats.
Nahum Ben Meir Netanyahu's main opponent, Gadi Eshkol, said on the 4th that under his leadership, Israel will restore relations with Washington. He posted on X: "We will update and deepen this partnership, strengthen the bipartisan foundation it has relied on over the years, and work to move the entire Middle East forward."
Israeli opposition party leader Yair Lapid said on X that the results of the U.S. midterm elections “show how toxic Netanyahu is among Democrats and Republicans”.
"The Joint Opposition leader, Ayyal-Rabi'i, said the election results indicated that "Israel cannot bear" Benjamin Netanyahu to continue in power. In his social media posts he stated: “This endangers our safety, harms our democracy and will destroy our global standing."
So far, Netanyahu has remained silent about the U.S. voting results. His office did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Udi Somer, a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University, predicts that the upcoming Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress will be the most confrontational Congress in Israel's history. He said that although most of the power over foreign policy remains with the president, Democrats can exert pressure through hearings, congressional oversight, and budget measures.
Sommer said: "The victory of the Democrats and the defeat of the Republicans mark the next chapter in U.S.-Israel relations."
