The 2026 Midterms, Israel's Election, Iran, the Gulf, and the Changing Middle East w/ James Dorsey

👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael welcomes back Middle East analyst James M. Dorsey of The Turbulent World with James M. Dorsey to discuss the geopolitical ramifications of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections and Israel's recent general election. With Democrats poised to take control of Congress following a major electoral victory, what does the changing political landscape mean for the U.S.-Israel relationship, American military aid to Israel, and the ongoing war with Iran? Dorsey examines the potential for a Democratic-controlled Congress to push for an end to the Iran war, restrict further war funding, and introduce greater conditionality on U.S. military assistance to Israel. We also discuss the political significance of Abdullah El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim senator, growing divisions within American Jewish communities over Israeli government policy, and the changing nature of public opinion toward Israel and U.S. involvement in the Middle East. Turning to Israel, Dorsey analyzes the country's recent election, Benjamin Netanyahu's fight to remain politically relevant, and the historic electoral gains made by Palestinian-Israeli parties, which secured 19 seats in the Knesset. Could these parties become kingmakers in a potential Gadi Eisenkot-led government? What would an Eisenkot premiership actually change about Israeli policy toward Palestinians, the West Bank, and Gaza? We also examine Netanyahu's efforts to cast doubt on election integrity by alleging foreign interference and raising accusations surrounding Palestinian-Israeli voter participation. Other topics include: The U.S.-Israel relationship: The future of the $3.8 billion annual American military aid package, congressional efforts to condition or reduce assistance, and Israel's potential transition toward greater military self-sufficiency. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states: How the Iran war has shattered the Gulf's image as an island of stability, undermining Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 ambitions and disrupting major sporting events, investment conferences, and economic development projects. Iran and the regional balance of power: Is Iran a regional hegemon? Dorsey considers the competing geopolitical ambitions of Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel, and why Tehran's regional influence cannot be understood in isolation. The limits of military escalation: Why the maximalist negotiating strategies of Washington and Tehran have produced a diplomatic dead end, the dangers of renewed U.S. attacks on Iran, and why military force is unlikely to produce the political outcomes Washington seeks. Iranian nationalism and regime survival: How the war may have strengthened the Iranian government's domestic position in the short term by transforming perceptions of the conflict from a war against the Islamic Republic into a war against Iran itself. The future of Saudi Arabia's regional ambitions: The impact of the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict on the kingdom's security, economic diversification, and international standing. We also discuss the significance of the term Palestinian Israelis, the complicated relationship between Israel and Qatar, Turkey's emergence as a regional rival, and the possibility that changing American political attitudes toward the Middle East could reshape the calculations of both Washington and Jerusalem. James M. Dorsey writes The Turbulent World with James M. Dorsey, providing analysis of international affairs, Middle Eastern politics, and geopolitics.