Israel’s Democrats leader blames Netanyahu for ‘enormous failure’ after Trump announces aid cutoff

Israel’s Democrats party leader Yair Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an “enormous failure” Tuesday after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would end financial assistance to Israel by the end of the year.

In a post on US social media platform X, Golan warned that ending US assistance would seriously damage Israel’s security and quality of life, placing the burden of financing its military needs entirely on the Israeli public.

“The decision comes at a time when Israel’s defense spending has reached enormous levels and the country needs to replenish its stockpiles of offensive weapons,” he said.

“Israel’s air defense capabilities have been depleted after such a prolonged war.”

Golan blamed Netanyahu for the development, saying: “Netanyahu has another enormous failure to his name.”

He warned that the cutoff would leave Israeli citizens bearing the full cost of meeting defense needs “at an extremely critical time.”

“A responsible prime minister would have fought to increase US assistance, not end it,” he said.

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“Netanyahu is deepening the security and economic crisis and endangering Israel’s future.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump said the US would stop providing financial assistance to Israel by the end of this year under an agreement he claimed to have reached with Netanyahu several months ago.

His remarks coincided with voting in the US congressional midterm elections, covering all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that officials in the Defense Ministry and military were surprised by Trump’s announcement.

Private broadcaster Channel 12 separately reported that Israel’s Finance Ministry had not known of Washington’s intention to cut military assistance until Trump made the announcement.

According to the channel, the annual $3.8 billion in US assistance had been expected to provide an important source of funding for Israel’s defense budgets in both 2027 and 2028.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016, the US committed to providing Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over a decade, through 2028.

Netanyahu has previously advocated reducing Israel’s dependence on US military assistance and strengthening its domestic defense industry.

Golan’s remarks came a day before the Israeli Central Elections Committee is expected to announce the official final election results on Wednesday.

The elections left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition secured 48 seats and Arab parties won 19. The opposition remains short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority on its own, making support from Arab lawmakers potentially decisive in efforts to form a government.

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