Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become “toxic” to lawmakers in the United States, Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid has said. He said opposition to Netanyahu and his government’s policies is growing even among US lawmakers who once backed Israel.
As evidence, Lapid pointed to growing support among senators for limiting arms supplies to Israel. He made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, after the Democrats won control of both houses of Congress in the US midterm elections.
In Lapid’s account, a section of US lawmakers still sees Israel as a strategic partner, but their opposition to Netanyahu and his government’s policies is growing. He said about 25 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives, and fewer than 10 percent of the Senate, are staunchly opposed to Israel.
The bigger problem for Israel, Lapid said, is that senators outside that group are increasingly inclined to vote for restrictions on arms supplies.
By Lapid’s count, 11 senators voted to limit arms supplies to Israel two years ago. A year ago the number rose to 27, and in April this year it reached 40.
These lawmakers oppose settler violence, he wrote. They oppose a government whose policies they do not understand. And above all, they oppose Netanyahu. To them, everything connected with Netanyahu is “toxic”.
Lapid urged Israel’s next government to meet lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties on its very first visit to Washington.
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