Israel opposition blames Netanyahu after Democrats win control of US Congress

Israeli opposition politicians have blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for weakening support for Israel in the United States after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. The comments came on Wednesday, a day after the US midterm vote, and followed a separate election in Israel a week earlier in which Netanyahu's right-wing coalition lost its parliamentary majority. The opposition says the result shows Israel cannot afford to keep Netanyahu in office.

Yair Lapid, a former prime minister whose party is part of the bloc seeking to unseat Netanyahu, said the US outcome showed that Israel "cannot afford" for the prime minister to remain in power. He said Netanyahu's leadership "endangers our security, it jeopardizes our democracy, and it will ruin our standing on the global stage." Lapid also argued that Israel should return to a policy of working with both major US parties, rather than aligning itself with one side. The criticism follows a sharp shift in the political relationship between Netanyahu and Washington.

For decades, Israel has relied on strong support from presidents and lawmakers in both parties, including billions of dollars in annual military aid since the 1970s. The opposition says that balance has been damaged under Netanyahu, who has openly sided with Republicans. Some Democratic candidates also made criticism of military aid to Israel a central part of their campaigns, reflecting growing debate in the United States over the war in Gaza and the wider regional conflict.

The timing is significant because the US Congress remains central to military assistance and diplomatic backing for Israel. The opposition's argument is not only about foreign policy, but also about Netanyahu's domestic political future after his coalition lost its majority in Israel's own election. That result has left him under pressure at home while also facing criticism abroad over the direction of his government's ties with Washington.

Lapid said Israel should go back to what he described as the approach that worked for decades, before Netanyahu's 2015 speech to Congress against then-President Barack Obama. He said that speech marked a break in the long-standing practice of avoiding open partisan alignment in the United States. The opposition's message is that Israel's interests are better served by maintaining support across the American political spectrum.

What remains unclear is whether the US election result will change Netanyahu's position or alter the balance of power in Israel's coalition politics. It is also not yet clear how the new Congress will approach military aid and other issues affecting Israel. The coming days are likely to show whether the opposition's criticism gains traction beyond domestic political debate.

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