US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Washington would conclude its annual $3.8 billion in assistance to Israel, on the day midterm elections featured Israel support as a contentious issue.
“We give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” Trump said during a phone interview with Fox News.
Trump stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “fine” with the decision to end the aid.
Under the agreement, Israel receives financial assistance for the purchase of approximately $3.8 billion in weapons annually.
“Now we’ll help Israel if they need it,” Trump said. “Israel is a thriving country. They don’t need it.”
The announcement came as Americans voted in crucial midterm elections determining Congress control for the final two years of Trump’s presidency, followed by Israeli parliamentary elections that yielded no clear winner.
Since 1948, Israel has received over $300 billion in adjusted-for-inflation U.S. economic and military assistance, according to the Council on Foreign Relations—more than any other country in that period.
Netanyahu has long sought to end Israel’s dependence on U.S. aid. In May, he told CBS he aimed to reduce American support to zero.
The Tuesday announcement drew backlash from Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who argued it demonstrated that Netanyahu must step down.
“The fact that Israel’s defense establishment is learning of a strategic relationship shift through the media simultaneously with the Israeli public shows just how dangerous Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct is,” Eisenkot stated. “He can no longer be trusted and must be replaced.”
It remains unclear when U.S. aid to Israel will actually cease.
– Deep divisions –
The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has deepened divisions within the United States, with polls indicating a growing American majority favoring aid cuts to Israel.
The announcement also follows an eight-month conflict against Iran, with Trump confirming Tuesday that the U.S. military conducted new strikes there.
Trump cited criticism from leftist Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who leveraged popular discontent and anti-Israel sentiment, as motivation for ending the aid package.
“Why should we endure the slings from figures like El-Sayed when they don’t need it? It’s a poor talking point,” Trump said on Fox, referring to the Israel aid.
The debate over Israel support, dividing both Democrats and Republicans, intensifies in El-Sayed’s home state of Michigan, home to a large Muslim community.
If elected, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim U.S. Senator. He has been a vocal critic of the U.S.-Israel alliance, calling for an aid halt.
Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens’ unexpected endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers over El-Sayed—his primary rival—highlights party divisions on the issue.
Also Read
- U.S. Strikes in Strait of Hormuz Deepen Uncertainty Over Escalation Path
- Live: US midterm election polls close in Indiana and Kentucky as nationwide voting ends
- Israel’s President Faces Pressure to Broker Unity Government After Stalemated Election
- Beyond Targeting Leaders: How Houthi Statecraft and Red Sea Expansion Heighten the Maritime Threat