US President ⁠Donald ⁠Trump says he made a deal with ⁠Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that ⁠Washington would no longer be providing funding to Israel after the end of this ‌year.

“Now, as far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4bn ⁠a year, and ⁠we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” Trump told ⁠Fox News’ Fox and Friends after voting in the midterm elections began.

“We’ve ⁠already agreed that ⁠by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel. ‌Now we’ll help Israel if they need it.”

It was not immediately clear what form of aid Trump was discussing.

Trump cited Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a vocal critic of US support for Israel, in his rationale.

“Why should we suffer the ⁠slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don’t need it? It’s a bad, it’s a bad talking point,” Trump said, adding that the Israeli prime minister had proactively sought the aid cut-off.

“Can I be honest with you, [Netanyahu] brought it up, he said, ‘I think it would be appropriate if we do not receive aid’, because he understands this is one of their points of contention.”

The US Department of State did not immediately respond to an Al Jazeera request for comment. There was no confirmation of the move by Israel’s foreign minister or Netanyahu’s office.

Hot button issue

“Talk about a November surprise,” said Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from the White House, attributing the move to a desire to undercut criticism of US policy towards Israel both from progressive Democrats like El-Sayed and critics from within his own Make America Great Again movement.

Advertisement

“But there’s a very important distinction to note,” she added. “The money is appropriated by Congress; Trump can’t end this aid unilaterally. What’s unclear is whether this is a last-minute attempt to get votes or whether or not this could be a tangible change.”

Military aid to Israel, and US political campaign contributions from Israel’s backers to candidates, have been a flashpoint for both Democrats and Republicans this year.

US public support for Israel has fallen since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in 2023, especially among Democrats.

A Quinnipiac University poll in June found 48 percent of voters and 66 percent of Democrats believe the US is too supportive of Israel, up from 16 and 20 percent, respectively, when the question was asked in 2017.

‘Isn’t going to change results’

Harsh public criticism of Israel by US political leaders in recent years marks a dramatic shift from decades of staunch bipartisan backing.

The US House of Representatives defeated an amendment to cut off aid to Israel in July, despite nearly half of Democrats supporting it, reflecting a growing rupture between US progressives and Israel over its war on Gaza.

The House voted 314 to ‌104 to defeat the measure, offered as an amendment to a State Department spending bill by outgoing Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken Republican critic of US policy in the Middle East.

“Amazing how being on the verge of Republicans getting wiped out in the midterms changes hearts and minds,” another Trump opponent, former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, wrote on X.

“Trump getting permission from Netanyahu to end annual aid to Israel isn’t going to change today’s election results.”