United States President Donald Trump claimed a 99 percent public approval rating in Israel during a Fox News interview on Tuesday, November 3, telling the network’s Fox & Friends program that he would relocate to Israel and assume the office of prime minister if American citizens grew “sick” of him, CNN Indonesia reported.
Trump and Netanyahu Agree to Halt Four Billion Dollars in Aid
During the same interview, Trump announced that Washington and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached an agreement to terminate annual American financial assistance to Israel, worth $4 billion or Rp63,2 trillion, beginning at the end of the year, according to CNN Indonesia. IDNFinancials noted that the timeline targets the end of 2026 for the total cessation of the annual funding stream. CNN Indonesia reported that Trump and the Republican Party lost control of the U.S. Congress to the Democrats during the midterm elections held on the same day as the broadcast. Trump explained that Israel no longer needs the financial support because its economy is considered strong enough, and he added that left-wing groups and Democratic politicians have used Washington’s financial assistance to Israel as a point of criticism against the Republican Party. Trump stated to Fox News, Now, regarding payments to Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made an agreement that we give Israel US$4 billion a year, and we made an agreement a few months ago that we would stop it,
and further remarked, We have agreed that by the end of this year we will not pay Israel. Now we will help Israel if they need it.
IDNFinancials reported that Trump pointed to Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who publicly opposed U.S. aid to Israel, as an example of the mounting criticism surrounding the financial backing. IDNFinancials noted that Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives, criticized Trump’s announcement on the social media platform X by asserting that the decision would not change the outcome of the midterm elections.
Defense Officials React to Sudden Funding Cuts
Military and defense officials in Israel expressed astonishment at the announcement, according to a report by Israeli broadcaster Kan cited by ANTARA News Bali. Defense sources told Kan that they maintain routine dialogues with American counterparts and received no prior notice regarding the termination of the military package. A defense official stated to ANTARA News Bali that the administration had not officially transmitted the decision to relevant organizations, leaving military planners to study the unfolding consequences. Vietnam.vn reported that Department of State documents published by The Wall Street Journal revealed Israel has spent over $10 billion beyond its allocated military aid budget, creating uncertainty over who will cover outstanding defense orders through 2028 under the existing bilateral framework established during the Barack Obama administration. ANTARA News Bali reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already stated to Trump back in July that Israel wanted to completely eliminate its military dependence on the United States. Thomas Warrick, Director of the Future of DHS Project at the Atlantic Council, estimated to IDNFinancials that the termination of U.S. military aid to Israel would not be realized until the end of 2026, noting that both nations still share various weapon programs connected to missile defense and anti-drone technology. Debra Shushan, a senior researcher at the Center for Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University, noted to IDNFinancials that defense integration provisions in Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027 could diminish Washington’s influence over Israeli military policy while highlighting risks regarding transparency and human rights requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Aid Reduction
What was the original value and schedule of the terminated American assistance?
CNN Indonesia and IDNFinancials reported that the U.S. provided $4 billion annually to Israel, with Trump and Netanyahu agreeing to halt the payments by the end of the year. ANTARA News Bali noted that a prior 2019-2028 memorandum of understanding provided 3,3 miliar dolar AS in annual security assistance alongside 500 juta dolar AS for missile defense cooperation.
How did Israeli leadership respond to the policy shift?
According to IDNFinancials, Trump stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually raised the issue first, suggesting it was appropriate to stop accepting the financial aid to remove a point of domestic political contention. However, ANTARA News Bali reported that Israeli defense officials expressed complete surprise, noting they had not been briefed.
What remains unresolved regarding the future defense budget?
Vietnam.vn reported that it remains unclear who will cover a deficit from overspent military allocations, or how Israel will fund ongoing procurement needs—such as 25 F-35 fighter jets—while already allocating roughly seven percent of its gross domestic product to defense.
