Opposition leader says US election results rule out unity government led by Netanyahu

In a post on US social media company X, Lapid linked the election results to the political situation in Israel, saying they had an unexpected consequence for Netanyahu’s prospects of leading a unity government.

“The American election results this morning have an unexpected outcome: they eliminate any possibility of a unity government led by Netanyahu,” Lapid wrote.

He also warned against Netanyahu remaining in office, saying it endangered Israel’s security and democracy and would damage the country’s international standing.

“Israel cannot afford to let him remain prime minister,” Lapid said.

The remarks came as Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, dealing a setback to US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

Trump has backed Netanyahu, whose political future has been the subject of debate amid efforts to form Israel’s next government.

Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for Jewish opposition parties and 19 for Arab parties.