Trump says that US will stop paying Israel aid after year-end
Military aid to Israel and campaign contributions from Israel's backers to US candidates has animated political debate.
US President Donald Trump says he made a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would no longer be providing funding to Israel after the end of this year.
“Now, as far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4bn a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” Trump told Fox News’ Fox and Friends after voting in the midterm elections began.
“We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel. Now we’ll help Israel if they need it.”
It was not immediately clear what form of aid Trump was discussing. The US State Department did not immediately respond to an Al Jazeera request for comment.
Military aid to Israel, and US political campaign contributions from Israel’s backers to candidates, have been a flashpoint for both Democrats and Republicans this year.
Harsh public criticism of Israel by US political leaders in recent years marks a dramatic shift from decades of staunch bipartisan backing.
The US House of Representatives defeated an amendment to cut off aid to Israel in July, despite nearly half of Democrats supporting it, reflecting a growing rupture between US progressives and Israel over its genocidal war in Gaza.
The House voted 314 to 104 to defeat the measure, offered as an amendment to a State Department spending bill by outgoing Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken Republican critic of US policy in the Middle East.
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