Netanyahu Falls Short; Trump Loses Congress — SkimNews
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- Netanyahu bet on Trump through reciprocal campaign endorsements, but his right-wing coalition finished the Oct. 27 race with 53 seats, far short of the 61 needed to form a government.
- Trump lost control of both the House and Senate to Democratic challengers, who made inroads in traditionally Republican strongholds including Texas and Kansas; he acknowledged that the Iran war was partly to blame because of energy prices.
- Shibley Telhami said polling found that a majority of Americans believed Israel influenced Trump’s decision to instigate the Iran war; most said Israel would factor into their vote, and an even larger majority said the war would affect it.
- Israel receives at least $3.8bn annually in U.S. military aid, which allows it to acquire advanced U.S. weaponry and has granted it regional military superiority, though the assistance carries an increasing political cost.
- Trump said during Tuesday’s election that he had made a deal with Netanyahu ending U.S. funding of "$4bn a year" after the end of 2026; details were scarce, and the timing prompted speculation about public anger over U.S. support for Israel.
- Daniel Levy said Netanyahu’s hand was weaker after the U.S. defeat, but should not be dismissed altogether because a wounded Trump remained at the helm.
- Alon Pinkas said Trump’s funding announcement did not address Israeli access to advanced weaponry or any future strategic agreement, leaving both questions "just in the air."
Why it matters: Democrats gained both chambers as Netanyahu’s coalition won 53 seats, short of the 61 needed to govern; polling linked the U.S. backlash to the Iran war and Israel’s influence. Israel now faces scrutiny over its $3.8 billion annual U.S. military aid and associated weapons access, while Trump said funding would end after 2026.
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