Israel: Former Netanyahu ally predicts severe consequences if he is re-elected

Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress since 2007 and a former ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned of the consequences of the Israeli prime minister’s re-election. In an interview published by Haaretz on October 22, 2026, he decried the decline of democracy in Israel, comparing the country’s current state to a “banana republic.” Lauder, who supported Netanyahu during the 1996 election campaign, said he had remained silent for decades and predicted severe losses for Israel if Netanyahu is elected.