US President Donald Trump has stated that Washington will provide no further financial aid to Israel by the end of this year. He also claimed to have reached an agreement to this effect with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In an interview on Fox News’ Fox & Friends—conducted as voting began in the US midterm elections—Trump said, “Regarding financial aid to Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and I have reached an agreement. We provide Israel with $4 billion annually. A few months ago, we decided to discontinue this aid.”
This year, the issue of US military aid to Israel—along with the funding provided by pro-Israel groups to the campaign coffers of candidates in US elections—has sparked debate within both the Democratic and Republican parties.
In recent years, harsh criticism of Israel has emerged from American political leaders, signaling a significant shift from the steadfast support that both major US parties have maintained for the country for decades.
Last July, the US House of Representatives rejected a proposal to halt US aid to Israel; however, the measure garnered support from nearly half of the Democratic members.
This development is viewed as a reflection of the growing rift between Israel and the progressive wing of American politics, a divide intensified by Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
The proposal was introduced as an amendment to a US State Department spending bill by Thomas Massie, a departing Republican Congressman from Kentucky.
Massie—known as a staunch critic of US policy in the Middle East—saw his proposal defeated in the House, with 314 members voting against it and 104 voting in favor. Consequently, the proposal was rejected.
