Al Jazeera reports that the Republicans' poor showing in the 2026 US midterms, with JD Vance citing the Iran war and ties to Israel, has weakened Benjamin Netanyahu's stance as the guarantor of the US relationship ahead of coalition talks. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, eight short of a majority; United Torah Judaism declined to back him, the opposition under Gadi Eisenkot rules out unity, and critics like Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman blame Netanyahu for eroding American support.