A viral post reigniting debate over US-Israel ties has landed amid secret talks in both capitals to end $3.8B in annual military aid and Trump's team may even be on board. A viral social media post by an Israeli commentator arguing that Israel would be better off cutting its ties with the United States has touched a raw nerve this week, landing in the middle of a far more serious and substantive debate already underway in both Jerusalem and Washington over the future of the two countries' alliance.
The post, by Yossi Goldstein, a professor of modern Jewish and Zionist history at Ariel University and a longtime public intellectual who has written extensively on Israel's founding generation, argued that Israel had won its greatest military victories, including the 1948 War of Independence and the 1967 Six-Day War, with little or no direct American arms support, and that the alliance today constrains more than it enables. The argument struck a chord, particularly amid mounting Israeli frustration over US pressure to hold back during the current round of fighting with Iran. But the debate it has ignited reflects a genuine policy shift already accelerating behind the scenes in both capitals.
From Aid to Trade — The Real Conversation
Israel's Defense Ministry and the Trump administration have launched formal talks on a new security cooperation framework to replace the current ten-year memorandum of understanding signed under the Obama administration, which expires in 2028. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee signaled the direction of travel earlier this week, writing on X that a new MOU with Israel "ends aid & will be based on trade."
What Trump's Team Really Thinks
The picture inside the Trump administration is more complicated than the public statements suggest. The debate comes amid eroding public support for Israel in the United States, including among younger Republicans, with a recent Pew Research Center survey finding that 60% of Americans hold an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% the previous year. Among Republicans under 50, the share with an unfavorable view rose to 57%. (Ed note: Many past US Presidents have not had Israel's interests at heart. Is Israel better left to itself? Your call.) (Read More)
