The Midterms’ Impact on Israel
By Nate Sirotovitch
This year’s American midterm elections, held on November 8, saw the Republican Party gain control of the House of Representatives but fail to reach a majority in the Senate. While a “red wave” was expected, many Republicans did not perform as expected. Additionally, several self-described “progressives” won their races, mostly due to the votes of young people. If this trend continues, it will signal a major shift in the Democratic Party’s voting bloc.
Despite a few anti-Israel voices being elected to Congress this year, the status quo is extremely unlikely to change anytime soon. The overwhelming majority of representatives and senators are still in favor of sending foreign aid to Israel and upholding America’s commitment to the Jewish nation’s defense. Furthermore, President Biden supports Israel, as did former President Trump, who recently announced his candidacy for the White House. No change is expected with respect to their stances on Israel and Middle Eastern foreign policy. Additionally, other possible Republican presidential nominees in 2024, such as Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott, are all in favor of sending foreign aid to Israel.
The majority of voters, both Democratic and Republican, have a positive view of Israel. Almost all candidates, regardless of their political affiliation, are pro-Israel and support American foreign aid to the country. The primary notable exception to this widespread pro-Israel sentiment are those who self-identify as “progressive,” particularly members of the left-wing congressional bloc known as the “Squad.” Its members include controversial figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, both of whom were facing little general-election opposition and won their races resoundingly. Omar, a Somali refugee representing Minneapolis, has been the one of the biggest critics of the Jewish state in Congress. For example, she Tweeted, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
She has also faced allegations of antisemitism, resulting in backlash from across the political spectrum. As she and the rest of the Squad represent safe Democratic districts, it is highly likely that Israel and its foreign aid will have several prominent left-wing critics for the foreseeable future, unless these representatives were to lose their primary races. There are some right-wing isolationist critics of America’s foreign aid to Israel, such as Thomas Massie and Rand Paul. However, they are not against the existence of the Jewish state and are consistent in their desire to slash foreign aid to many countries.
Some progressives are running in competitive districts. AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations have focused their spending on defeating progressives in those types of races and promoting more mainstream candidates. AIPAC is a bipartisan lobbying committee that aims to ensure that Congress will be made up of pro-Israel members, with support for foreign aid as a main litmus test. While 95% of candidates it endorsed came out victorious in their races, AIPAC was unable to defeat progressive Summer Lee, despite spending over 2 million dollars in that race.
Many more outspoken pro-Israel candidates have also won their elections. One notable example is Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who was re-elected by a margin of more than 1.5 million votes, or over 19 percent. He has “promised to be the most pro-Israel Governor in America.”
Powerful senators endorsed by Pro-Israel America such as Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have also been re-elected. These results, among others, have the potential of improving bilateral relations.
In summary, while a few left-wing critics of Israel have won their elections, the results of the midterms ensure that Israel is likely to receive its foreign aid package totaling almost 4 billion dollars. The Iron Dome and other elements of Israel’s defense program should receive funding due to this money. This will almost certainly continue in the near future, since almost every major political leader on both sides of the aisle — aside from the few progressives and isolationists — agrees with the American policy of aid to Israel.
