Israel at the center of US elections. But did it really decide them?

A Globes reporter examines whether Israel was a decisive factor in the US midterm elections. She cites a Michigan ad linking aid to Israel with food prices, and Vice President Vance's claim that relations with Israel contributed to the Republican loss. However, experts and analyses show that the economy and cost of living were the dominant issues, and Israel was mainly present in primaries and a limited number of districts.

Ariel Whitman's article examines whether Israel was a decisive factor in the US midterm elections in November 2026. It opens with a Michigan ad linking aid to Israel with food prices, and a Democratic candidate who won there. Vice President JD Vance claimed that relations with Israel were among the factors in the Republican loss in the Senate. A Pew poll shows that 60% of Americans hold a negative view of Israel, including 57% of young Republicans. However, experts and analyses indicate that the economy and cost of living were the dominant issues, and Israel was mainly present in primaries and a limited number of districts. The pro-Israel lobby AIPAC refrained from mentioning Israel in most of its ads. The article also notes an internal debate in the American right over relations with Israel, especially against the backdrop of the war in Iran.