Israeli opposition says US midterm results show Netanyahu lost bipartisan support

Israeli opposition leaders say the Democratic Party's capture of the US Congress proves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has squandered bipartisan American support, as President Isaac Herzog begins coalition talks. Democrats won majorities in both chambers in Tuesday's midterms, a rebuke fueled partly by frustration over the US-Israeli war on Iran. Opposition leaders Yair Golan and Yair Lapid argued the results show Netanyahu is toxic and endangers Israel's security and democracy. The vote came a week after Netanyahu's coalition lost its parliamentary majority, leaving him as caretaker prime minister while Herzog consults party representatives before selecting a candidate to form a government. The United States has been Israel's staunchest ally for generations, but Netanyahu has openly backed Republicans, and support wavered after the Gaza assault and joint attack on Iran. Trump pledged to halt $4bn in annual funding, while analysts predict the incoming Democratic Congress will be the most adversarial toward Israel in its history.