Trump says he will stop 131.4 billion annual military aid to Israel CNN: Foreshadowing a historic change in the United States

The U.S. midterm elections began on the 3rd. In a telephone interview with Fox News on the day of the election, Trump said that the United States would stop providing annual military aid of approximately US$4 billion (approximately NT$131.4 billion) to Israel at the end of 2026. In this regard, CNN believes that Trump’s declaration heralds a historic change in the American political landscape.

"CNN" stated that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is Trump's partner in the war with Iran, and this war is threatening the Republican Party's election in the midterm elections. Trump's announcement to stop military aid comes at a critical political moment for Israel. There was no clear winner in Israel's parliamentary election last week, and each camp failed to obtain more than half of the seats. This has plunged Israel's political situation into a deadlock and left Netanyahu's political future full of uncertainty.

"CNN" pointed out that the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, once hinted that continued assistance to Israel is gradually becoming unsustainable in the U.S. political environment. Former Obama administration White House staffer Rahm Emanuel also opposed the United States' unconditional provision of military aid to Israel and called for the United States to establish new relations with Israel. This highlights that the long-standing bipartisan consensus in the United States to support Israel is experiencing unprecedented cracks.

"CNN" emphasized that progressives are angry at Israel because of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and there is also an anti-Israel sentiment within the Republican Party, and this voice is gradually rising from Trump's right camp. CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan spent months talking to Trump supporters and found that many are skeptical of the relationship between the United States and Israel.

A poll released by Quinnipiac University in the United States in June showed that 48% of respondents believed that the United States’ support for Israel is too high, 38% believed that the United States’ current support for Israel is just right, and 7% believed that the United States’ support for Israel was not enough.

"CNN" added that although Trump's declaration heralds a historic change in the U.S. political landscape, it does not necessarily mean a strategic rupture in the U.S.-Israel alliance. Foreign policy analysts point out that Israel is now an economically powerful country and no longer needs to rely on U.S. aid to purchase military equipment. The cooperative relationship between U.S. arms manufacturers and Israel is expected to remain close, and the two militaries have cooperated closer than ever in recent years.