Trump says he’ll cut Israel aid, teeing up a fight

The surprise announcement came as voters fanned out to cast ballots in races where anti-Israel sentiment is shaping the results. President Donald Trump said today that the US plans to end around $4 billion in aid to Israel after this year, though the country will still be able to buy weapons. The surprise announcement came as voters fanned out to cast ballots in the midterm elections, including in races where anti-Israel sentiment is shaping the results. Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with the plan; Netanyahu has said in recent months that he wants to gradually reduce the country’s reliance on congressionally-approved US aid. But there’s a domestic calculus to the announcement, too, as some in the Republican Party grow increasingly skeptical of US aid to Israel. “It’s a bad talking point,” Trump told Fox News earlier today. On the other hand, Trump’s plan sets him on a collision course with Israel’s supporters in Congress, who could approve the aid against his wishes.