What Trump meant when he said the U.S. is cutting aid to Israel
President Trump's announcement regarding the reduction of U.S. military aid to Israel has caused concern among Israeli officials and citizens. Experts suggest the move is a strategic shift toward a partnership model rather than a total cessation of support as the existing aid agreement nears its 2028 expiration.
Why it matters
This signals a potential fundamental shift in the long-standing U.S.-Israel military alliance, impacting regional stability in the Middle East.
JERUSALEM — On the day of the U.S. midterm elections, when President Trump told Fox News he is cutting $4 billion in U.S. aid to Israel, many Israelis panicked. Israel has been one of the biggest recipients of U.S. military aid for decades.
"For us, the U.S. is one of our biggest friends. So when a president says something like that, it's a slap in the face!" says Yair Wairauch, 36, a clinical psychologist in Jerusalem. Local media say Trump's "bombshell" announcement also caught the country's defense and finance ministries by surprise.
Meanwhile, U.S. voters and candidates who oppose U.S. military aid to Israel celebrated Trump's move. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect from Michigan — who accuses Israel of genocide and apartheid, charges Israel denies — told NPR he thinks the president is "actually right on this policy."
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