The November 3, 2026, US midterm elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the Republican Party. Losing 7 seats in the Senate and 28 seats in the House of Representatives, the Republican Party’s number of senators dropped to 44, and its number of representatives fell to 147. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, capitalized on the Republican losses, increasing its number of senators to 54 and its representatives to 237.
As a result of this outcome, the Democratic Party secured majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending two years of Republican dominance in Congress. The fact that states known as Republican strongholds—such as Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina, along with states like Iowa, Ohio, Maine, and North Carolina—flipped to the Democrats demonstrates the sheer magnitude of the rout suffered by President Donald Trump’s party.
In gubernatorial races as well, the Democratic Party increased its number of governorships from 23 to 28, while the number of governorships held by the Republican Party dropped from 25 to 20.
Factors That Made Voters Switch Parties and JD Vance’s Self-Criticism
Among the factors contributing to the Republicans’ electoral defeat were reactions to Trump’s failure to fulfill the economic and political promises he made during the 2024 elections, alongside unconditional support for Israel, the perception that foreign policy had fallen under Tel Aviv’s sway, and widespread realization that Congress is controlled by Zionist lobby groups such as AIPAC.
Additionally, the costs brought by the war that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—convincing Trump that he would achieve a quick victory—dragged Trump into against Iran on February 28, the high cost of living, tariffs, and reactions to Trump’s governing style are cited as other major factors behind the debacle.
Indeed, Vice President JD Vance published a self-critical statement regarding the election defeat on his social media (X) account the very day after the election (4 November), listing the four key demands made by Republican voters who had voted for them in 2024 but shifted to the Democrats in this election in order to return to the party:
· Ending the war
· Focusing on the cost of living and inflation
· Returning to the “America First” principle
· Changing relations with Israel
In his message, Vance stated, “The reason we lost is the war. The President himself said this last night.”
The US, having launched a war against Iran, encountered unexpected resistance. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered a global energy crisis, which hit domestic citizens as well by driving up gasoline and diesel prices within the US. Furthermore, when Iran retaliated against American strikes by attacking Gulf countries, it became evident that the Pentagon was incapable of honoring its commitments to protect those nations. Consequently, the global superpower America, having no idea how to end the war it started, suffered a loss of prestige worldwide. In the region, the Mecca Joint Defense Alliance emerged to ensure its own security.
The Al-Aqsa Flood Turned Into a “Blue Tsunami” in the US
The election results in the US have been termed a “Blue Tsunami.” Blue is the color representing the Democratic Party in US politics, and this expression refers to the electoral map being painted largely blue in favor of the Democrats.
Undoubtedly, what led to the outbreak of the war with Iran and discredited Israel in the eyes of the American public was the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood. Israel’s response to the attacks launched by Hamas to break the blockade on Gaza—which is under blockade by land and sea—through the genocide of the civilian population, its reckless turning of the entire Middle East into a military target, and Netanyahu’s dragging of Trump into the Iran war fundamentally transformed Israel’s image within the American public.
Strong support for Israel and the policy of defending it under any circumstances, which for many years had been one of the foundational elements of bipartisan political consensus in the US, rapidly lost its old social legitimacy, particularly among Democratic voters.
In a comprehensive Pew Research Center poll from March 2026, the percentage of Americans expressing a negative view of Israel hit 60%, and among them, Democrats and Democrats-leaning independents accounted for a high proportion of 80%. Prior to the elections, the Democratic base and a segment of the MAGA faction within the Republicans openly opposed the Netanyahu government’s policies, Washington’s military and political support for Israel, and AIPAC’s interference in American politics. The backlash of US voters against Israel and the Zionists was so immense that AIPAC was forced to announce it would refrain from publicly endorsing candidates and making donations, fearing it would work against the candidates it supported.
Realizing the situation, Donald Trump was compelled to announce a decision on election morning to cut off the annual $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel, aiming to influence the voter base that was angered by relations with Israel and contemplating staying home or casting protest votes. Yet, the aid agreement in question was slated to run until September 2028.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza triggered a reaction in American society far beyond what was anticipated, as reflected in the election results. World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald Lauder, in an interview published in Haaretz on October 22, argued that the Israeli leadership’s policies had eroded traditional bipartisan support in the US, exclaiming, “Shame on you!” Stating that Israel had lost its cross-party support in the US, Lauder told Israeli voters, “You lost the Democratic Party, and now you are losing the Republican Party.” Emphasizing in his statements that Israelis had lost everything due to “foolishness,” Lauder highlighted that Israel had lost support not only in Europe but also within the Jewish diaspora.
Changing Dynamics in the US and the Rise of the Progressive Left
There is no doubt that the Republicans suffered a defeat in the elections. However, the most crucial point that must not be overlooked here is that the election victory does not belong to the classical Democratic Party along the pro-Israel and anti-Islam Joe Biden/Kamala Harris line. On the contrary, the progressive leftist current within the party—which rejected this line and fought against it—gained strength within the party, and this transformation found resonance at the societal base, carrying the party to victory.
Despite efforts by the party leadership to obstruct it, the movement for change, which gained momentum with the election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York, proved its strength and impact when Abdulrahman Sayed—against whom AIPAC spent $40 million to prevent his election—won a Senate seat in Michigan. The anti-Israel and anti-Zionist wave could not be suppressed despite all negative propaganda.
The increase in the number of individuals from diverse faith groups and ethnic backgrounds elected from within the Democrats in the recent election signals a transformation of the traditional line within the party. 11 mayors, 98 city council members, 32 state representatives, 14 state senators, and 7 US House representatives were elected from among Muslims. A transformation also occurred among Hispanic voters, who had leaned toward Trump in 2024. Hispanic voters, who felt alienated due to Trump’s policies, distanced themselves from the Republicans; the Democratic support in this demographic reached approximately 60%. For the first time, a Latina governor (Gina Hinojosa) was elected in Texas, the heartland of Republican politics.
Results Regarding Israel
This election has dealt a profound blow to Israeli influence in US politics. The fear pumped for years by the Zionist lobby—that criticizing Israel would lead to the loss of a political future—has come to an end. The fact that sympathy for Palestine surpassed Israel in the polls has also been reflected at the ballot box. Traditional pro-Israel policies have now become a liability costing elections in American politics, and candidates have begun shying away from being endorsed by AIPAC. All of this indicates that starting from the 2028 elections, the US will face a different Congress where Zionist influence and control are diminished.
In the election held on October 27 for the 120-seat Israeli Parliament, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling bloc lost 11 seats, falling to 53 seats, while the Jewish opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats. As a consequence of the Gaza War, due to the high voter turnout among Arab voters, Arab parties increased their number of seats from 10 to 19, becoming kingmakers in coalition calculations.
The reaction of US voters to the government’s Israel policies, alongside changing political and social balances domestically, will also directly impact the structure and policies of the government to be formed in Israel. Indeed, losing US support represents an existential risk of the highest degree for Israel.
This fear is laid bare by Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s remarks upon Trump’s decision to halt annual military aid to Israel amounting to roughly $4 billion: “The issue of cutting American aid worries me immensely. Very much so. It left me practically thunderstruck.” Opposition leaders likewise declared that this aid cut, coming at a time when defense expenditures had peaked, dealt a severe blow to Israel’s security and economy.
It would not be surprising to see the formation of a coalition government in Israel in which Benjamin Netanyahu is not prime minister and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties (Shas and United Torah Judaism parties) are excluded. It can be expected that the new government, forced to repair strained relations with Washington and maintain military-economic cooperation, will also revive Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, which the Netanyahu government had stalled.
The extortion of Palestinians’ properties by extremist Israeli occupiers in the occupied West Bank with the connivance of Israeli security forces, the displacement of the civilian population, and the impunity of settler violence will intensify global isolation against Israel. Days will come when the shield of protection is lifted from over the Israeli state and its leaders, and serious trials take place before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
What Will “Lame Duck” President Trump Do?
The Democrats, having secured a majority in the Senate in the final election, have acquired the means to paralyze the Trump administration. Although Donald Trump continues to hold the office of presidency, he will face major domestic political constraints during the final two years of his term.
In the new Senate convening on January 3, 2027, 60 votes are required for many routine bills to come to a vote; the majority held by the Democrats—standing at 54 votes—is not sufficient on its own for this. Even if a bill passes Congress, President Trump can use his veto power to block these laws. Even if demands by the Democrats, who lack a two-thirds majority in the Senate, to impeach Trump are brought to the agenda, impeachment cannot take place without securing the legal majority.
However, starting next year, the new Senate can pass resolutions ordering the cessation of military operations by a simple majority (51 votes) in order to bring ongoing wars to a close. By withholding approval for funds required for an ongoing military operation or by inserting spending-restrictive clauses into budget bills, it can effectively render the war unsustainable. The Senate has acquired sufficient numerical power to stop commander-in-chief Donald Trump’s wars.
Democrats holding a simple majority in the Senate also possess other means to disrupt the functioning of the federal government. The approval of a simple Senate majority (51 votes) is mandatory for the appointment of certain high-level federal officials in the Department of State, Department of Defense, and the national security bureaucracy. Democrats, having this number, can block high-level bureaucratic appointments.
Again, during the budget process, they have the opportunity to limit President Trump’s tax and expenditure policies: they can block the raising of the debt ceiling, halt funding cuts in federal programs, and have their own priorities incorporated into the budget legislation.
Faced with constraints, Donald Trump will attempt to govern the country through Executive Orders and administrative regulations. To maintain high motivation among his highly ideologically sensitive base in the wake of political defeats, the Republican Party is expected to pursue a more aggressive and hardline politics centered on border security, identity politics, economy/inflation, and crime rates. The deepening of the standoff between Democrats and Republicans could lead to irreparable fractures and deadlocks in American domestic and foreign politics over the span of two years. The possibility of internal tensions spilling onto the streets is evaluated seriously. The Republican base has been unable to stomach the loss of Texas and other states known as strongholds to the Democrats.
Right after the election, with Donald Trump—who has no opportunity to serve a third term—out of the picture, the presidential race appears to have begun within the Republicans, led by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Competition among candidates could lead to additional vulnerabilities in the policies and functioning of the administration for another two years.
Conclusion
Palestine has now become a shared issue of the world. In various European countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Austria, the Palestinian flag waved at demonstrations organized for socio-economic reasons and attended by hundreds of thousands of protesters has become a common symbol of the oppressed.
In America as well, Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people and Washington’s support have provoked unexpected levels of reaction; the public conscience has mobilized against the consensus between the two parties regarding Israel’s uncritical and unconditional support.
Despite intense smear campaigns nationwide, the entry into Congress of political forces that criticize Israel and reject unconditional American support has dealt a profound blow to Israeli influence in the country. A comprehensive questioning of American support for Israel in Congress is expected to begin starting from early 2027. In this questioning, cooperation may emerge between the progressive wing of the Democrats and the “America First” line of the Republicans.
It is anticipated that the change in the US—which provides the greatest support to Israel—will not remain limited to itself, and that anti-Israel policies will also be rapidly implemented in European countries. Seeing this change manifest most harshly in Germany, which has been among the most pro-Israel nations just like the US, will probably surprise all of us.
Israel and Zionist circles; despite bringing many communication channels including social media under control, applying global censorship, and leveraging their influence over governments, failed to veil the massacre they committed against the Palestinian people, nor did they succeed in legitimizing occupation and genocide. Despite all efforts at obstruction, they could not knock the Palestinian people’s struggle for independence off the world’s primary agenda.
Israel and Zionist circles began to think they were facing a non-state enemy they could not cope with despite all their resources and capabilities. This was a center of power that confronted Israel and the Zionist lobby in every arena, could conduct intercontinental campaigns, and transformed the entire world’s perspective on Israel and Zionism. Israeli analysts call this power—whose existence they sense but cannot fully diagnose, describing it as a “machine/mechanism/global sphere of influence“—the “8th Front.” Indeed, reflecting on this, the Jewish Link Team, in an analysis published on April 9, 2025, titled “The Eighth Front,” predicted the ongoing change in the US through the November 3 election with the assessment: “Most concerning is the success Hamas supporters have achieved in the United States, especially among younger generations. The biggest shocks usually come from where you least expect them. During the Trump presidency, Israel enjoys strong support from the White House. However, like all administrations, this has an expiration date. The winds of American politics are shifting rapidly.”[i]
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement (Mecca Alliance), signed and publicly announced between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan on August 7, 2026, represents this time the power they call the 8th Front confronting Israel militarily.
It appears that the US election results, which emerged in reaction to Israel and Zionism, will not only manifest their impact in US domestic and foreign policy, but, spreading globally through a domino effect, will usher in an era where Israel is isolated, condemned as genocidal by international law, its diaspora financing Israel pays a price, and the State of Palestine is officially recognized at the UN. World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald Lauder’s anger toward the Israeli state and people is because he foresees this outcome.
In the world we live in, we are witnessing tiny Gaza—resisting the death-dealing attacks of the heaviest weapons—turn the world’s governance systems, country administrations, and global experts’ perspectives upside down, triggering the awakening of all peoples’ sense of justice and conscience, and—in short—these fighters of tiny Gaza virtually turning the world upside down and opening a door ready for a new world order.
Was the Al-Aqsa Flood and the Gaza event a strategy, or was it an ultimatum from God to the world? Perhaps Strategy and God’s grace must have met at a point for the vast world to have been shaken into such a disarray. What do you say? We will see in time.
[i] The Eighth Front, https://jewishlink.news/the-eighth-front/
*This article was published on sde.org.tr on November 7, 2026.