Israeli watchdog seeks probe into Netanyahu's reported US aid waiver

The Movement for the Quality of Government (MQG) called for a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reported initiative to end US defense aid to Israel, following President Donald Trump's statement that Netanyahu proposed the move. MQG submitted an appeal on November 3, questioning the decision's timing and consultations.

The Prime Minister's Office issued this morning (Friday) a first response to statements by US President Donald Trump about halting military aid to Israel as early as next year. In the response, delivered three days after Trump's remarks, the Prime Minister's Office did not deny the report, stating that "the transition from aid to partnership demonstrates the strength and sophistication of the relations." It further stated that "Israel has a strong and stable economy." Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he had agreed with Netanyahu on halting the aid, amounting to approximately $3.8 billion per year, and that Netanyahu was the one who raised the issue. According to the article, the Defense and Finance Ministries were unaware of the agreement. The current agreement is set to last until 2028. The article notes that halting the aid will require the Defense Ministry to find alternative funding sources for military equipment procurement and may affect joint projects for developing missile defense systems.