Isaac Herzog Says US Aid Cut Worries Him While JD Vance Blames Israel Partnership for GOP Midterm Wipeout

The Israeli president raised concerns over the future of the $38bn assistance agreement as JD Vance linked Republican midterm losses to the Iran war and tensions over Israel

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed alarm in Jerusalem on Thursday, 5 November, over President Donald Trump's proposal to end US military aid to Israel. His concerns emerged as Vice President JD Vance blamed Republican midterm losses primarily on the Iran war and cited dissatisfaction with Washington's relationship with Israel.

The dispute began on Election Day, 3 November, when Trump claimed he had agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end American military assistance after 2026.

The announcement raised questions about a $38 billion (£28.5 billion) agreement covering fiscal years 2019 through 2028. It also arrived as Israel struggled to form a government following its October elections.

Isaac Herzog Says Trump's Israel Aid Plan Came as a Shock

Herzog addressed the proposed funding change during consultations with representatives of Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

'The issue of American aid worries me greatly. Greatly,' Herzog said, according to The Times of Israel.

'It hit me like a bolt out of the blue.'

The Israeli president referred to the 2016 memorandum of understanding, which provides $3.8 billion (£2.85 billion) annually in American military assistance through fiscal year 2028.

He also emphasised the importance of forming a government rather than holding another election, citing the need to protect relations with Washington.

Trump, however, claimed Netanyahu had proposed ending the assistance and that both leaders had agreed on the change months earlier.

Netanyahu's office did not immediately confirm the arrangement.

During his Fox & Friends interview, Trump argued that Israel had become prosperous enough to purchase American weapons without existing US assistance.

He described the funding as a 'bad talking point' because political opponents repeatedly questioned why Washington provided billions to Israel.

Trump said the payments would stop after 2026, but his administration has not explained how that decision would affect the existing agreement.

Congress also plays a role in approving military assistance, meaning Trump's announcement does not itself establish that the funding has already ended.

One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was "composition"—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win. And despite polls that showed a Democrat blowout, the data kept on telling us the same story: in some states turnout was merely OK, in other states it was downright amazing, and in no state was it catastrophic. There was a genuine sense of optimism on our team: our people were showing up.So, I asked the smartest data guy I know, does that mean we're going to shock the world? "No," he told me. "We might do better than the polls suggest. But the data is telling us that a lot of Trump/Vance 2024 voters are pissed and planning to vote for the other guys. Our voters are turning out, but they may not vote for us."Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was 9 points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024. Undoubtedly there were places we could have done better on turnout. But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.There will be a lot of infighting and arguing over what happened and why that is. One of the pollsters I really respect told me that our economic messaging wasn’t sharp enough down the stretch. I’m sure that’s true.But the real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone.Another pollster—one of the smartest people I know in politics, told me yesterday we’d lose the generic ballot by 13 points. I felt negative going into Tuesday, but even I was shocked by this. In his polling, he saw that a lot of Trump 2024 voters were angry and planning to vote for Democrats. He asked those voters who had abandoned us what would cause them to come back on our team. The top four answers, accounting for nearly all of the responses were:1) End the war 2) Focus on cost of living/inflation 3) Put America First 4) Change our relationship to IsraelOur voters showed up. And the above four reasons are why many of them voted for Democrats. This is according to a pollster who nailed the results. While many spent Monday attacking Rachel Campos Duffy for calling for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, it turns out her political advice was sound. (She’s also a great person.)In the next few months, there's going to be a lot of gaslighting. Expect to hear any number of establishment politicians say the solution to our woes is amnesty. I'm open to the idea that we should change enforcement—by focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labor, for instance. But anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you.The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest.But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.I remain hopeful about our country. To the people who are pissed off and want to say, “I told you so”: you’re right, you did tell us so. Take that energy into electing Republicans who share your worldview. To the people who are just pissed at the results, you should be. Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 4, 2026

JD Vance Blames Iran War as Israel Aid Dispute Exposes Political Differences

The controversy unfolded after Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the 3 November midterm elections.

On Wednesday, 4 November, Vance offered his assessment of the Republican defeat.

'The reason we lost is the war,' he wrote on X, referring to the conflict with Iran.

Vance also identified concerns about inflation, the America First agenda and demands to change America's relationship with Israel.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee disputed the suggestion that dissatisfaction with the bilateral relationship significantly influenced Republican voters.

'I don't agree with that because I don't think that's where voters are,' Huckabee told Israel's Channel 12.

He defended American assistance, arguing that the partnership also benefits US citizens and supports American defence manufacturing.

Huckabee separately acknowledged uncertainty over whether the existing agreement would continue until 2028.

Netanyahu had previously advocated gradually reducing Israel's reliance on American assistance over the coming decade.

On Sunday, 8 November, Herzog formally tasked Eisenkot with forming Israel's next government after inconclusive parliamentary elections.

The Yashar leader has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. His task follows a campaign in which neither major political bloc secured a parliamentary majority.