"Surprise" and "heavy blow": First reactions from Israel after the US announced it will cut military aid

"Surprise" and "heavy blow": Initial reactions from Israel after the US announced it will cut military aid Officials within the Israeli Ministry of Finance were the first to comment on the White House's decision to cut military assistance to the State of Israel, stating that they were caught by surprise by President Donald Trump's announcement that the aid would cease by the end of the year, according to Times of Israel. "No official document was sent from the Prime Minister's office regarding the cessation of aid," stated a Ministry of Finance official quoted by the news publication Walla. "The ministry knew about the intention to end it, but was surprised by the intention to do it immediately." In an interview given in January to The Economist, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that he wants Israel to become independent of American military aid within the next 10 years. What Donald Trump said about assistance for Israel However, Donald Trump stated on Tuesday, in a shocking move made on the day of the US Congressional elections, that he would end assistance to Israel, valued at $4 billion annually. The agreement was set to expire in 2028, and negotiations for its extension were already underway between the two countries. But Trump now argued that Israel no longer needs this aid and that some Democrats and left-wing politicians were using American funding destined for Israel as a talking point to criticize Republicans. "We gave them $4 billion, we still give them it, but this support will be halted at the end of the year," Trump said on Fox News in an interview given the morning of the elections, Washington time. "The left uses the payment of $4 billion—and everyone knows about it; there is no secret—as a sign of incorrectness. And we cannot allow that to happen. I don't like this because, you know, it's too easy. It's almost too easy a target. And Bibi and I discussed this and agreed on it. He was very understanding in this regard," Trump added. The Israeli website Ynet, considered close to the country's security services, quotes a high-ranking Israeli financial official who wished to remain anonymous, stating that the announcement has serious consequences for the economy: "Giving up two years of aid means $8 billion. Where will we get this money? It is clear—from taxes paid by citizens." "A severe blow to Israel's security" Yair Golan, leader of the Democratic Party and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF), criticized Netanyahu following Trump's announcement, in which he stated several times during his Fox News interview that the decision was made in mutual agreement with him. "Just at a moment when Israel's defense spending has reached enormous proportions, when the country needs to replenish its offensive weaponry stocks, and when its air defense capabilities have been exhausted after such a long war, Netanyahu has recorded another major failure," wrote Golan in a post on his X page. "The cessation of American aid represents a severe blow to Israel's security and to the quality of life in the country, because the burden of financing defense needs, at such a critical time, will fall entirely on the Israeli population," he added. "A responsible prime minister would have fought for an increase in American aid, not for its demise," he continued. "Netanyahu is deepening both the security and economic crisis, endangering Israel's future," Golan further stated.