10
Loading video...
By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has praised President Donald Trump’s plan to end nearly $4 billion in annual U.S. military assistance to Israel, saying he would be willing to work with the president on the issue.
The Michigan Democrat was asked about the proposal by Joe Scarborough during an appearance on Morning Joe on Thursday.
“I agree with him on that,” El-Sayed said. “I don’t think that we should be continuing to subsidize a foreign military that has done the worst things with our money.”
Read More on Politics
He added: “I’d love to work with him on doing that. In fact, I don’t know that we should be continuing to sell weapons to a country that is, again, using our weapons to do awful things.”
Trump announced this week that the United States would stop providing Israel with approximately $4 billion in annual assistance by the end of 2026.
...
He said that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reached an agreement months earlier and argued that Israel no longer required the funding.
However, the president has not explained how the change would be implemented. Under a 10-year memorandum of understanding struck in 2016, the U.S. is due to provide Israel with $3.8 billion annually through fiscal year 2028, comprising $3.3 billion in military financing and $500 million for missile-defense programs.
Trump suggested Israel would remain able to purchase American weapons and could receive further help if necessary.
The agreement between the two men is notable because Trump repeatedly attacked El-Sayed during the Michigan Senate campaign.
Israeli policy was also a major dividing line in the contest, with El-Sayed campaigning against continued U.S. military support.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Register for our November 10 discussion, 'Newsweek Webinar: How the Politics of AI Could Shape Midterms,' which will examine how AI policy played in key races, data centers, lobbying and the political lines that emerged.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines