Israelis fear for future of US support after midterm backlash against Trump
According to The National, Israel's opposition is calling for a new approach to the US after the Democratic rout in midterm elections prompted calls to rethink the relationship from President Donald Trump's inner circle. The massive defeat for Mr Trump was accompanied by victories for Democratic candidates unusually sceptical of Israel. Mr Trump made a surprise announcement on election day that he would end military aid to Israel by the end of 2026. Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for his administration’s catastrophic defeat, in which Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate, an assessment Mr Trump said was largely true. Mr Vance also stated that pollsters found changing the relationship to Israel was among the top policies to bring back defecting voters. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Israel’s opposition, said he was working to create a national emergency government. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, warned that continued rule by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir could lead Israel to international isolation. Meanwhile, opposition politician Yair Lapid urged a return to bipartisan engagement, though his comments drew swift pushback from newly elected US Democratic Representative Brad Lander.