Israeli opposition cites US Democratic victories as proof that Netanyahu’s grip is weakening
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Opposition leaders in Israel say the Democrats’ control of both chambers in the US Congress exposes the erosion of bipartisan backing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they push to form a new government.
Israeli opposition parties are seizing on the Democrats’ win of both chambers in the recent US midterm elections to argue that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has squandered the long-standing bipartisan support Israel traditionally enjoyed from Washington. The US vote came a week after Israel’s election, in which Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc fell short of a parliamentary majority but remained the largest faction, leaving him as caretaker prime minister while President Isaac Herzog prepares to task a leader with forming a new coalition.
Opposition figures pointed to the shift in US sentiment after Israel’s military actions in Gaza and a joint Israeli-American strike on Iran earlier this year. Yair Golan, head of the centre-left Democrats party, posted on X that the US results “reveal just how toxic Netanyahu is among both Democrats and Republicans.” Centrist leader Yair Lapid said the outcome shows “Israel cannot afford” for Netanyahu to stay in office, adding that his tenure “endangers our security, jeopardises our democracy, and will ruin our standing on the global stage.”
President Donald Trump, who endorsed Netanyahu, pledged on election day to halt $4 billion in annual US aid to Israel, describing the funding as a “bad talking point” for Democrats. Netanyahu has not commented on the US results, and his office declined a request for comment.
Political scientists say a Democratic-controlled Congress could take a tougher line toward Israel, using hearings, oversight and budget tools even though the president retains primary foreign-policy authority. Professor Udi Sommer of Tel Aviv University said the “Democratic landslide and the Republican wipeout encapsulate the next chapter in US-Israel relations.”
The coalition-building process in Israel may take weeks or months, and if neither Netanyahu nor his main rival Gadi Eisenkot can secure a governing majority, a new election could be called.