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Michael Oren: The midterms ended the US-Israel special relationship
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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
The midterms were a disaster for US President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
The Democrats seized control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, including in traditionally deep-red states like Texas, South Carolina, and Kansas. They also made important gains at the state level across the country.
Several proudly anti-Israel candidates won their races, including Abdul Al-Sayed in Michigan and a trio of Zohran Mamdani-backed Democrats in New York City.
Was the election about the US relationship with Israel? And what does it mean for the future of that relationship?
To analyze the implications of the 2026 midterms, we are joined once again by Michael Oren, a scholar of the Middle East, Israel's former ambassador to Washington, and an expert on the US-Israel relationship.
He said that the 50-year special relationship between Israel and the US ended on Tuesday, and the implications will be felt beyond the issue of military aid.
Even though Israel wasn't responsible for many of the processes driving US politics, it is on the receiving end of them. MAGA isolationism and the rise of the Democratic Socialist might have their roots in domestic politics, but they have profound implications for Israel.
Israel, said Oren, accelerated those processes by failing to curb West bank violence and avoiding any mention of peace with the Palestinians or Syria.
Jerusalem can mitigate some of the fallout and soften some of the blows, he said. Still, it should start diversifying its military and economic partners, and make clear that it will not be bound by any deal between the US and Iran.
As the US moves to cut off military aid, he said, Israel should be working overtime to transform the relationship into one of a technological and AI partnership, especially with the Pentagon.
Lazar Focus is available on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Yitzchak Ledee.
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