The US midterm elections have delivered an unprecedented diplomatic challenge to Israel, as a slate of lawmakers with sharply anti-Israel positions won seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. An in-depth report by i24NEWS correspondent Amichai Stein reveals a troubling picture: officials now sitting on Capitol Hill who openly call for cutting military aid, imposing restrictions on Israeli policy, and reframing the conflict in terms that undermine Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state.
US MIDTERMS
Muslim senator: cut Israel aid—Jews voted him in
Abdel el-Sayed wins Michigan Senate seat and immediately demands end to US military support for Israel. Meanwhile, a wave of anti-Israel lawmakers enters Congress, and 66% of American Jews still voted Democrat
America's first Muslim senator—elected with Jewish support
Abdel el-Sayed has become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. In his victory speech, he called for an immediate halt to American economic support for Israel, attacked the war in Gaza, and condemned Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria. His platform challenges Israel's character as a Jewish state, advocates for a binational solution, and calls for the repeal of the Law of Return.
Despite these positions, approximately 60% of Jewish voters in his Michigan district cast their ballots for el-Sayed, compared to just 36% for his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. Nationally, the pattern held: 66% of American Jewish voters supported Democratic candidates, while only 32% backed Republicans.
From arrest in Judea and Samaria to a Gaza doctor: the new faces in Congress
The House of Representatives saw its own wave of incoming members with hostile records on Israel:
Brad Lander was elected to represent New York's 10th district. Lander, who received the endorsement of anti-Israel politician Zohran Mamdani, was previously arrested in Israel after entering a closed military zone in Judea and Samaria to participate in a Palestinian olive harvest.
Adam Hamawi, a physician who served in the Gaza Strip during the war and has been a vocal critic of Israel, won New Jersey's 12th district.
Mela Kiros, a socialist congresswoman from Colorado, is calling for an immediate end to all weapons shipments to Israel, including defensive systems.
A progressive congresswoman from New York won the 13th district after participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration the day after the October 7 massacre.
Support for Israel shifts from asset to liability
These newly elected officials will have the power to advance resolutions limiting aid, delay weapons shipments, and initiate joint statements condemning Israeli actions. The political analysis is stark: not a single Democratic candidate won on a platform promising stronger ties with Israel.
The concern in Jerusalem is long-term. The message being absorbed by Democratic politicians is that adopting a sharply anti-Israel line is now a condition for electoral success. Where support for Israel was once considered a political asset in the United States, today, with roughly 60% of the American public opposing the war, it has become a burden for the average American politician. Israel will be forced to navigate this new political reality in the years ahead.
