The US Democratic Party secured control of both chambers of Congress, with Israeli opposition groups seizing the opportunity to call for Netanyahu to step down.

Following the U.S. midterm elections, where the Democratic Party secured control of both chambers of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately faced fierce criticism from domestic political rivals. Opposition figures accused him of longstanding public support for the Republican Party, which has eroded Israel’s traditional cross-party backing in the U.S., and are leveraging the election results to push for the formation of a new government excluding Netanyahu. Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s center-left opposition party, said the election results reflect that Netanyahu holds negative standing within both the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties. Centrist leader Yair Lapid warned that Netanyahu’s continued tenure would endanger Israel’s security and international status. U.S.-Israel relations could also face new strains. With Democrats controlling Congress, the party may pressure Israel through hearings, oversight investigations, and budget measures. Previously, support for Israel’s military operations and U.S. aid to Israel had already weakened within the Democratic Party; the joint military action taken by Donald Trump and Netanyahu against Iran further exacerbated this trend. Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to hold talks with representatives of all political parties on Wednesday and Thursday to launch the process of forming a new government. Netanyahu remains in office as caretaker prime minister.