Long-held Israeli presumptions about the transatlantic partnership started to fall apart as the US midterm election results were announced.”This will be a generational sea change for us in Israel,” a well-known journalist said in the right-leaning Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s best-selling daily. “The [prime minister, Benjamin] Netanyahu government sowed the wind and reaped the tsunami.”
Opposition leaders in Israel have rallied around their prime minister, with one claiming that the US results demonstrated “just how toxic Netanyahu has become” among both Republicans and Democrats.
Quick Facts
| What Happened | Trump announced plans to end US military aid to Israel. |
|---|---|
| Location | United States and Israel |
| When | November 2026 |
| Key Figures | Donald Trump, JD Vance and Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Military Aid | Approximately $3.8 billion annually under the existing agreement. |
| Main Issue | Growing political tensions and uncertainty over military cooperation. |
| Why It Matters | Changes could affect Israel's defence supplies and diplomatic relations with Washington. |
Changing US Political Attitudes Toward Israel
So far, the prime minister has remained silent.The changes were intellectually recognized by Israel’s political elite. According to a US person familiar with the matter, “They have not understood how much and how quickly.”
The US-Israel relationship was a campaign issue in the US elections.
Several Democratic candidates harshly criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.The US president, who is largely seen to have been pressured by Israel’s leader, blamed the Republican setback on the Iran War.
US Political Shift Challenges Israel’s Alliance
Additionally, US Vice-President JD Vance emphasized that the US connection with Israel is now viewed as a political issue by its main ally by citing it as one of four major reasons why people had abandoned the party.Yaakov Katz, an Israeli political and security analyst, warned me that “that might be even worse than what happened in the midterms.”
“Because the Democrats we knew about, now [Vance] is pointing the finger and saying: ‘Our voters want us to change our position on Israel’ – and Israelis don’t fully understand where this is going.”
Uncertainty Over Israel’s Future US Support
What this means for Israel’s security and influence is now the question that plagues Israelis.
Despite rising dissatisfaction among US voters and President Donald Trump’s frequent insults to Netanyahu, Israel has maintained its feeling of unwavering US military and diplomatic backing.
The prime minister of Israel frequently bragged about his “true friendship” and “unwavering support” with Trump.
The “unprecedented” cooperation of the two partners became a daily phrase among military spokespeople and politicians, and only nine months ago, Israelis witnessed their armed forces fighting Iran alongside the US military.
Trump’s Aid Announcement Shakes Israel’s US Ties
Trump’s unexpected announcement during a News interview this week that he would halt $3.8 billion (3.4 billion euros; £2.8 billion) in US military aid to Israel two years ahead of schedule shocked people here, not so much because of the aid loss as because of what the move said about Israel’s standing as a diplomatic partner.
The news was described as “a bolt from the blue” by Israel’s president.
A few days later, in response to the announcement, the Israeli prime minister’s office stated that the change from US aid to cooperation demonstrated “the strength and sophistication” of the bilateral relationship.
Israel’s Growing Military Dependence on America
Less than 10% of Israel’s yearly defense budget comes from US military assistance. However, Yaakov Katz, the author of many books on Israel’s security and defense, claimed that Trump’s declaration was only the beginning of a much bigger issue about future financing, arms sales, and cooperative military initiatives with Israel.
Even without the two-thirds majority required to overturn Trump, a Democratic-controlled Congress could slow down or halt all of this.Israel needs to be ready for this new reality because everything that it used to obtain in a smoother, easier procedure might suddenly be far more complex,” he told me.
