The Democrats’ sweep of Congress has created a distinct opening for Israel’s splintered opposition to overcome deep internal divisions and form a coalition government. This shift increases the urgency of unseating Benjamin Netanyahu, who has associated himself so closely with Donald Trump’s Republicans that his political brand now carries significant toxic weight in Washington. Yair Lapid, a prominent opposition politician, argues that incoming Democratic lawmakers are "mainly against Netanyahu" rather than against Israel itself. He urges the country to rebuild bridges by launching a transatlantic charm offensive with officials from a prospective new government. However, this plan drew a swift and sharp rebuke from Brad Lander, a Jewish Democrat and liberal Zionist who won a seat in Congress last night. Lander was detained in the occupied West Bank last month while joining Palestinians trying to harvest olives, an experience that informs his direct response to Lapid. "Minister Lapid: As someone who won a seat in Congress last night, and who cares about Israel: you’re not listening to what American voters – Jewish and non-Jewish – are saying," Lander wrote in a public statement. He emphasized that American voters are "hungry to see respect for international law and human rights" rather than a barnstorming tour. On Friday, Lander joined two other incoming Jewish members of Congress, Daniel Bliss and Scott Wiener, in writing to Israel’s ambassador to demand the immediate release of journalist Abed Abu Shehada. Abu Shehada was taken from his home by 15 masked security officials in a night-time raid without an arrest warrant. Lawyers acting for him reported that interrogators only questioned him about a podcast interview with a public figure. Lander stated that detaining a reporter for conducting an interview is a violation of international law, especially when senior Israeli officials try to delegitimize the participation of Palestinian citizens in recent elections.
Netanyahu’s response to the election results reveals a strategy that many in Israel view as dangerous and self-destructive. After Trump made a last-ditch attempt to woo voters on election day with a pledge to cut off $4bn (£3bn) in annual military aid to Israel, the announcement caused panic in the defense establishment. One official told Channel 12 news that hearing such a threat might make the commander of the Israel air force slit his wrists, questioning where the country would find 15 billion shekels every year for its future defense budget. Netanyahu responded on Friday by attempting to spin the potential cut as a joint decision reflecting Israel’s economic strength. His office issued a statement claiming it demonstrated a "move from aid to partnership." Yet, this framing ignores the reality that the United States provides critical military and diplomatic support, and nurturing bipartisan ties was the cornerstone of foreign policy for decades. Netanyahu ripped up that commitment to throw his lot in with the Republicans in general and Trump in particular. Ben Caspit, writing in Ma’ariv, described the situation as an avalanche and a reverberating collapse of the foundation of Israel’s national defense doctrine. He argued that this is not a decree of fate but a decree of Netanyahu. Nadav Tamir, executive director of J Street Israel, noted that US administrations have too long equated support for Israel with blind support for its government. That consensus is cracking, but the majority of lawmakers from both parties still see Israel as a key ally in the Middle East. External pressure from those who support its security but see current policy as self-destructive might push the country towards necessary change. Perhaps this will be the paradox of the new Congress, which may offer more meaningful support in breaking out of the cycle of wars because it is less willing to define support for Israel as automatic alignment with every policy of its government.
