Photo: Avi Ohayon / Government Press Office of Israel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). File photo, February 2023.
Benjamin Netanyahu's political rivals seized on Wednesday on the Democrats' capture of the United States Congress as proof that he had squandered generations of bipartisan American support for Israel, as they seek a chance to form a government without him. Reuters reported the reaction on November 4, as Israel's own post-election government talks were about to begin.
Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and the House in Tuesday's midterm election, in a rebuke to President Donald Trump fuelled in part by deep frustration over the unpopular US-Israeli war on Iran. The result in Washington landed just a week after Israel's own election — and Netanyahu's rivals moved quickly to use it against him.
A government still to be formed
In that Israeli election, Netanyahu's right-wing coalition lost its parliamentary majority but performed well enough to deny his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, a clear path to unseat him. President Isaac Herzog is due to hold talks on Wednesday and Thursday with party representatives before tasking one of the two men with forming the next government. Meanwhile, Netanyahu remains prime minister as a caretaker.
The process could still take weeks. Whichever candidate is chosen first must build a new coalition, or the other will be given an opportunity. If both fail, a new election would be called. That timetable is what gives the Washington result its immediate weight in Jerusalem: the argument over who can repair relations with the United States is now part of the argument over who should govern Israel.
Rivals turn the Washington result into a weapon
Yair Golan, head of Israel's centre-left opposition Democrats party, said on X that the US midterm election results "reveal just how toxic Netanyahu is among both Democrats and Republicans". Centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid said the results showed "Israel cannot afford" for Netanyahu to remain in office. "It endangers our security, it jeopardises our democracy, and it will ruin our standing on the global stage," Lapid said in a social media post.
The criticism was not limited to the election result. Lapid also called Trump's decision to end about $4 billion in annual US assistance to Israel one of the most severe political and security failures in the country's history, questioning Netanyahu's handling of the matter. Golan warned that ending US assistance would seriously damage Israel's security and place the burden of financing military needs entirely on the Israeli public, at a time when, he said, Israel's air defence capabilities have been depleted after prolonged conflict.
Netanyahu has so far remained silent about the outcome of the US vote. His office did not respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported.
Why bipartisan support matters
The United States has been Israel's staunchest ally for generations under presidents of both parties, providing billions of dollars a year in military aid since the 1970s. But unlike previous leaders who assiduously courted Democrats and Republicans alike, Netanyahu has openly backed Republicans, Reuters noted.
Support for Israel among Democrats and some Republicans wavered after Israel launched its military assault in Gaza following the 2023 Hamas attack, and fell further this year since Trump and Netanyahu ordered a joint attack on Iran. Some Democratic candidates made criticism of American military aid to Israel a prominent campaign argument. On Tuesday, Trump — who had endorsed Netanyahu — made an election-day pledge to halt $4 billion in annual funding to Israel, a move he said would take away a "bad talking point" used by Democrats. That announcement was already covered on this blog; what is new is how Israel's opposition is now using the wider American result.
The most adversarial Congress yet?
Udi Sommer, a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University, predicted that the incoming Democratic-controlled US Congress would be the most adversarial towards Israel in its history. Although most power over foreign policy still resides with the president, Democrats could apply pressure through hearings, congressional oversight and budgetary measures, he said.
"The Democratic landslide and the Republican wipeout encapsulate the next chapter in US-Israel relations," Sommer said.
It could be weeks or months before it becomes clear whether it is Netanyahu or Eisenkot who ultimately faces the task of repairing the relationship. The first test comes in Herzog's talks this week — and in whether either man can build a coalition while arguing, in opposite directions, about what Washington's verdict really means.
Sources: Reuters, "Netanyahu rivals seize on Democrats' sweep of US Congress, seeking his ouster," November 4, 2026; Tribune India, November 4, 2026 (Lapid); Yeni Safak, November 4, 2026 (Golan). Netanyahu's silence and his office's lack of response are as reported by Reuters.