President Donald Trump ignited an international firestorm Tuesday after casually claiming that U.S. aid to Israel would be “cut off” by the end of this year, leaving Israeli officials scrambling to make sense of the surprise announcement.
“Let’s get to that breaking news that is causing a political and financial earthquake here in the region,” said Fox News’ Jonathan Hunt, reporting live Tuesday from Tel Aviv, Israel. “The president saying it’s not just about Israel’s needs, but it’s also about taking away a talking point that Democrats have been using against Republicans.”
Israel is by far the greatest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, receiving more than $300 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1948. The aid has come under scrutiny in recent years as Israel has carried out its ongoing military bombardment of Gaza, which countless human rights groups and a United Nations committee have labeled a genocide.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump called into “Fox & Friends” and casually dropped the announcement, confusing Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, who pressed the president for answers.
“We were giving them $4 billion [annually] — we are — but it gets cut off at the end of the year,” Trump told Kilmeade.
“Why?” Kilmeade asked, to which Trump said the decision was made “because they don’t need it.”
Trump’s announcement came one day after Iran fired surface-to-air missiles at U.S. aircraft flying over the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Qeshm Island, which sits in the middle of the strait. The announcement also confused Israeli officials, who said, according to Hunt, that the revelation came as a complete surprise.
“The Israeli Finance Ministry now reportedly telling local media here that they were entirely unaware of any intention by the U.S. to cancel that $4 billion in aid, so it really is a political and financial earthquake here in the region,” Hunt said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported a plan to phase out U.S. aid to Israel, but over a period of 10 years. However, he’s also backed a plan to integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries in such a manner that critics warn would be difficult to reverse.