Israel Faces Sudden End to US Military Aid, Says Oren

Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren says President Donald Trump has moved the end of American military aid to Israel two years ahead of schedule. Oren, who also serves as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office, told 103FM that the announcement disrupts the existing timeline for the memorandum of understanding with the US.

Oren stated that Trump acted on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recommendation. He noted that the timing coincides with the US election cycle, where military aid to Israel has become a central issue in Democratic campaigns. "This is part of the election campaign," Oren said.

The former ambassador warned that Israel cannot assume it has a decade to shift from aid to a strategic partnership. He emphasized that the US controls the timetable, not Israel. "We are talking as though we have another ten years to move from aid to partnership, but we do not," he said.

Oren argued that reducing Israel's military capabilities undermines American interests. He described Israel as the only US ally willing to fight shoulder to shoulder and enhance security through technology in a sensitive region. "We are a Jewish state, not Sweden or Luxembourg, so there is no strategic logic in this position," he stated.

He also pointed to shifting political dynamics in the US, noting that the Muslim population in Michigan now exceeds the Jewish population. Oren added that one third of Jews in New York voted for Zohran Mamdani and that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is under political pressure.

Oren expressed surprise at the immediate nature of the decision, particularly while Israel is engaged in war. He questioned why the US would stop aid in the middle of a conflict rather than negotiate a deal where Trump supports Netanyahu in exchange for not launching a war before midterms.

He warned that replacing American military production with Chinese alternatives would cross a US red line. Oren said he sat in meetings where administrations told Israel it could choose between the US or China, but not both. He also cited opportunity costs from the current agreement, noting that Israel was denied purchases like B 1 or B 2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles while being blocked from selling to China.