November 4, 2026
Lebanese MP Jamil Al-Sayyid linked the results of the US midterm elections that took place on November 3, 2026, to developments in the Middle East, considering that the repercussions of the Gaza war and the confrontation with Iran led to the Republican Party losing control of the House of Representatives and the Senate to the Democrats, in a prominent shift in the balance of political power in Washington during the second half of President Donald Trump’s term.
In his post on the “X” platform under the title “After American Tuesday,” Al-Sayed explained that the absolute support provided by the Republican Party for Israel during the Gaza War had a negative impact on voters’ choices, noting that the live scenes of the war broadcast on social media contributed to causing a shift in part of public opinion and American youth toward Israel, bypassing the influence of traditional media.
In the same context, Al-Sayyed pointed out that the second factor, represented by the war on Iran, cast a heavy shadow on the American economy, as the repercussions, rising costs of living, and rising prices of fuel, transportation, and food commodities directly affected the middle and poor classes. This reading intersects with Reuters reports and statements by President Trump, who acknowledged the role of the Iranian war, the high costs of living, and customs duties in the Republicans’ electoral losses.
Al-Sayed touched on Trump’s announcement on Election Day of his agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end annual military aid to Israel estimated at $3.8 billion after 2026, considering that this step came late and did not succeed in influencing the results of the vote.
The Lebanese MP concluded his reading by asking about the repercussions of these results on the Middle East region, and whether they will lead to calm or further escalation, ruling out the major powers resorting to exporting their crises through external wars given the high level of popular tension and the difficulty of containing the internal repercussions in the current circumstances.
