The U.S. government announced that soon the agreement under which nearly $4 billion in military aid is provided to Israel each year will come to an end. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced this news on Tuesday in an interview with Fox News.
Details of Trump's Decision
Trump stated that Israel has no issue with the end of the aid and noted in a conversation with the hosts of "Fox and Friends" that an agreement has been made between him and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, regarding this matter. He added, "We have already agreed that we will not make any payments to Israel by the end of the year. Now, if Israel needs assistance, we will help."
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The United States, under an agreement signed in 2019 and endorsed by Barack Obama, provides $3.8 billion to Israel each year. This agreement, which is valid for 10 years, will continue until September 2028. Trump did not provide an explanation in this interview about how military aid would end by the end of 2026.
Reactions and Consequences
This decision by Trump has faced strong reactions. Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the Israeli opposition and Netanyahu's rival, acknowledged that Trump's statements indicate a need for change in Israeli leadership. He stated in a statement: "The fact that Israel's defense establishment learns about changes in our strategic relationship through the media indicates the dangerous behavior of Netanyahu."
Trump also announced that the United States recently attacked an Iranian air defense facility. He said, "They had built an air defense facility, and as soon as it was completed, we targeted it well last night." These remarks come as the midterm elections in the U.S. are underway, and some Democrats have criticized the ongoing U.S. aid to Israel.
Polls show that unconditional American support for Israel, which was once a bipartisan consensus, is increasingly unpopular among the American public. A Quinnipiac University poll in June revealed that 48% of voters and 66% of Democrats believe that the U.S. supports Israel too much, a significant increase compared to 2017.
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