Trump says US will end annual aid to Israel by end of 2026
US President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that he agreed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end annual US aid to Israel, about $4 billion, by the end of 2026. The current agreement runs to 2028, and Israeli officials said they were surprised by the announcement.
Nadav Eyal analyzes in an opinion column on ynet the deterioration of the alliance between Israel and the US following President Trump's declaration on suspending security aid. Eyal argues that the political timing of the declaration, on US midterm election day, is concerning and illustrates the decline of Israel's standing. He links this to the campaign of Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, who turned attacks on Israel into a political asset. Eyal criticizes the government, especially Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who he says cause daily damage to Israel's legitimacy. He warns that harming aid will damage the relationship with the American security-industrial establishment and expose Israel to sanctions. Eyal claims that Israel has no strategy for restoring its standing in the US, and that Netanyahu and Ron Dermer underestimate the severity of the danger.