Almost a once-in-a-century event: Trump suddenly announced the termination of annual $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel.
On the surface, this appears to be a devastating blow to the Israel Defense Forces and its defense industry.
Speaking about scaling back the support, Trump stated: “We’ve been giving them $4 billion annually, but this aid will be cut off by year-end. Why? Because they don’t need it. If that’s the case, why should we endure attacks from figures like Said? That’s not a compelling argument.”
With midterm elections approaching, the “Trump faction” faces mounting challenges.
In Michigan, progressive Democratic candidate Said is locked in a tight race with Republican Mike Rogers for a U.S. Senate seat.
Here’s the clear implication: this is Trump’s electoral strategy—playing the “Israel card.”
By announcing the cancellation of military aid to Israel a full year ahead of schedule on election day, he can claim a political victory: he has slashed one full year of assistance, saving American taxpayers approximately $4 billion.
The suspended funding represents only 0.054% of the federal budget. Whether such a reduction truly advances “making America great again” is debatable.
But undeniably, it strengthens Rogers’ chances of winning.
A year ago, such a declaration by the U.S. president would have been unthinkable, provoking immediate bipartisan outrage.
Now, the situation is different.
Majority opinion among both Democrats and Republicans now opposes unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel.
The United States can still provide financial support to Israel through opaque channels, but public sentiment toward Israel has undergone a marked shift following the Gaza conflict and the ongoing tensions with Iran—a reflection of a broader realignment in U.S. political attitudes toward Israel policy.
Ultimately, U.S.-Israel military aid has long served as a political spectacle, a talking point for figures across the ideological spectrum.
What Trump has done is merely a minor alignment with prevailing public sentiment.
The deeper nuance lies in the fact that Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu is unlikely to fracture over this decision—coordination remains feasible. This move was likely pre-negotiated between the two leaders.
Can Netanyahu absorb this announcement at this moment? For him, is that truly difficult?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880882109138956/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.