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The blame game: How the US midterm shock is shaping Israel’s race for PM
The US Republican Party’s poor performance in the midterm elections has weakened Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that he is best placed to maintain strong ties with Israel’s most important ally. As Israeli politicians try to form a government after a close election, opposition leaders are using the result to argue that Netanyahu and his policies have made Israel less popular in the US and that he should not lead the next government.
Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc won 53 seats, eight short of the 61 needed for a majority; opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc won 48, while Arab-led parties won 19 and say they will support him. Eisenkot and other opposition figures have rejected a unity government with Netanyahu, and President Isaac Herzog has yet to nominate someone to form a government. The United Torah Judaism party, a longtime Netanyahu ally, declined to recommend any candidate, further weakening his position.
In short
- US midterm losses have weakened Netanyahu’s claim to be Israel’s strongest US ally.
- Netanyahu’s bloc fell eight seats short of a parliamentary majority.
- Arab-led parties back opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Netanyahu’s critics can argue that the Republican setback weakens his claim to be uniquely able to secure US support, and that Israel’s close relationship with its most important ally depends on policies and standing that extend beyond personal ties. With no bloc holding a majority, they can also say the election gives Israel an opportunity to choose different leadership and reconsider policies they believe have damaged its standing in the US.
The case against
Netanyahu’s supporters can argue that one US midterm result does not establish that his leadership or policies caused Israel’s changing popularity, nor that a different prime minister would secure better relations. They can point to his experience and longstanding ties with US leaders as assets, and say that, amid a fragmented Israeli parliament, a government led by him could offer continuity and practical cooperation with Washington.
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