The Israeli newspaper "Jerusalem Post" said on Wednesday that the results of four elections held over 10 days weakened Israel's diplomatic position, threatened important alliances for the country, and raised questions about its political future.
In an analysis titled "How Israel lost 4 elections in less than two weeks," the newspaper stated that the series of losses began in Serbia on October 25 (last October), where the alliance of President Aleksandar Vucic, a close ally of Israel, lost the early parliamentary elections to a student-backed list. It noted that the winning list pledged to halt arms exports to conflict zones, and adopted an anti-war stance against Israel's war on Gaza, stating in its manifesto: "We will not be partners in Israel's systematic attempt to destroy the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."
In Brazil, the Israeli newspaper said that the victory of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva over right-wing Jair Bolsonaro dashed Israel's hopes for a return to a government closer to it. It pointed out that Lula had previously compared Israel's military operations in Gaza to the Nazi Holocaust, recalled his country's ambassador to Tel Aviv, and Brazil supported South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Regarding the Israeli elections held on October 27, the newspaper considered that their results led again to a deadlock, as the Likud party topped the results, while parties outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp, including Arab parties, won a majority of Knesset seats, without any party possessing a majority allowing it to govern alone. On Wednesday evening, consultations on recommending a candidate to form the Israeli government began, conducted by various parliamentary blocs with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
In the United States, the newspaper pointed to Democrats' control of both houses of Congress and the rise of anti-Israel voices, including the elected Senator Abdurahman Sheikh. It noted that Israeli concern is not limited to Democrats, as Republican voices also began holding Israel responsible for the electoral defeat, citing statements by Vice President JD Vance, who included "changing the nature of the relationship between America and Israel" among the demands of voters angry with President Donald Trump's administration.
Vance proposed four measures to regain voters who drifted from the Republican Party, consisting of: ending the war with Iran, focusing on the cost of living and inflation, adopting an "America First" policy, and reconsidering relations with Israel. Vance's comments came the day after President Trump announced on Tuesday, in statements to the American "Fox News" network, that his country would stop providing financial aid to Israel by the end of this year, amounting to about 4 billion dollars annually, under an agreement he said he reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu months ago.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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