US Midterms Shakeup: Trump and Netanyahu Face Political Fallout Amidst Iran War Concerns

The resounding defeat of US President Donald Trump and his Republican party in the recent midterm elections has left many in Israel, particularly on the political right, contemplating the significant rebuke to their closest allies in Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had frequently positioned himself as uniquely capable of securing unwavering support from Trump, who had returned to the White House with a promise to avoid protracted foreign conflicts. However, in a surprising turn of events in late February, Trump joined Netanyahu in authorizing a joint military operation against Iran, an action that triggered immediate Iranian retaliation and raised concerns of a full-scale regional war.

As the prospect of renewed hostilities loomed, both leaders publicly endorsed each other in the lead-up to Tuesday's US congressional elections and Israel's parliamentary vote held last week, urging their respective electorates to support their ally. These coordinated efforts, however, appear to have either backfired or significantly missed their intended mark. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition secured only 53 seats in the October 27 electoral race, falling short of the 61 seats required to form a government. Concurrently, Trump's party lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to Democratic challengers who made substantial gains in traditionally Republican areas, including strongholds in Texas and Kansas.

Shibley Telhami from the University of Maryland and director of the Critical Issues Poll described the US midterm results as a