Israeli Media Warns Democratic Midterm Wins Deal Major Blow to Trump

OPA WIRE, Nov 5 (OPA) — Israeli media prominently featured the results of the U.S. midterm elections, which saw Democrats secure control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The liberal newspaper Haaretz provided continuous live updates, while the centrist news website Ynet characterized the outcome as a humiliating defeat for U.S. President Donald Trump, noting it will significantly constrain his maneuverability during the final two years of his presidency. Concurrently, the right-wing Channel 14 described the results as a major blow to both Trump and Israel. Both outlets highlighted the Michigan Senate race, where Abdulrahman El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, noting his critical stances on Israel and opposition to U.S. military aid.

Additional coverage from the centrist newspaper Maariv emphasized decisive Democratic gains, including victories in traditionally Republican-held Senate seats across Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina, alongside a historic gubernatorial victory in Georgia. Maariv labeled the results a major setback for the governing Republicans, citing Trump's assertion that he would have won by a decisive margin had his name been on the ballot. Analysts subsequently placed responsibility on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Trump's Nov. 3 statement suggesting that U.S. military aid to Israel could conclude by the start of 2027.

Trump stated during the midterms that he and Netanyahu had previously agreed on an annual $4 billion aid package to Israel, but noted that a decision was reached months ago to halt the assistance. Maariv analyst Ben Caspit argued that the long-standing, bipartisan, and unconditional nature of U.S. support for Israel has eroded under Netanyahu's leadership, calling the development a long-term tragedy for the country. Ynet analyst Sever Plocker wrote that Netanyahu's government has become an extra burden, asserting that a complete cutoff of U.S. military aid by 2027 would prove Netanyahu should not remain prime minister for another term.

Plocker attributed Trump's announcement to mounting opposition against Netanyahu's government across the U.S. political spectrum, noting that Trump had been advised to publicly distance himself from Netanyahu's administration. Plocker added that ending the aid would not be catastrophic but would generate an approximate 15 billion shekel deficit in Israel's 2027 budget, forcing the government to raise taxes and reduce civilian expenditures in health, education, and welfare.