Democrats’ midterm sweep tests US-Israel ties as Eisenkot vows reset
Political sources describe the Democrats' midterm victory as a political blow to both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Democrats’ victories in the House and Senate deal a severe blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hopes of pressing ahead with his Iran and Gaza policies without US pushback, particularly on military aid and the prospect of renewed strikes on Iran.
Israeli political sources told Al-Monitor the outcome is a personal defeat not only for President Donald Trump but also for Netanyahu, whose political fortunes have been closely tied to the president’s.
'Acute' rift with Democrats
Netanyahu has long courted Republicans over Democrats, a tilt rooted largely in disagreements with Democratic administrations over Iran and in Republicans’ more consistently hawkish, pro-Israel posture. It was already evident in 2012, when he warmly welcomed Mitt Romney, then the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, during a visit to Israel. In 2015, he addressed a joint session of Congress without coordinating with the Obama administration, underscoring growing tensions between the two governments over Iran.
