US midterm fallout reshapes Israel's post-election leadership race

The Republican midterm rout is weakening Benjamin Netanyahu's central argument that he alone can safeguard Israel's US ties, as opposition leaders blame him for the country's growing political toxicity in Washington. Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won 53 seats, short of a 61-seat majority, while Arab-led parties back rival Gadi Eisenkot, and ultra-Orthodox ally United Torah Judaism declined to recommend Netanyahu.