Vance blames Israel policy for GOP defeat as Trump questions $4B aid

Vice President JD Vance identified changing relations with Israel as a top priority for Republicans following a wave of Democratic wins in the U.S. elections. In a post on social media the morning after the vote, Vance said an unnamed pollster advised his party to end the war, focus on inflation, put America first, and change its relationship with Israel.

The comments came hours after President Donald Trump suggested cutting approximately $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel during a Fox News interview. It remains unclear if this represents official policy or a final bid to sway voters. The White House did not respond to requests for further details.

Democratic candidates made major gains across the country. In the swing state of Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed defeated his Republican rival. El-Sayed, who accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, is part of a group of Democrats who view the conflict as a key factor in their electoral success.

Michael Oren, a historian and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., described the political shift as fundamental. He said his working assumption is that the call to cut off military aid is just the beginning. The shift is visible on both sides of the aisle, with some Republicans accusing Israel of dragging the U.S. into a costly war with Iran and some Democrats viewing the nation as an international pariah.

The U.S. has provided billions in aid and advanced weaponry to Israel for decades. An academic study last year found that the U.S. provided $21.7 billion in aid to Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023. Michael Singh, managing director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said a cutoff would leave Israel scrambling and force it to finance its own weapons purchases through borrowing or taxes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his parliamentary majority in last week's election but has not commented on Trump's remarks on aid. His spokesperson, Doron Spielman, said Netanyahu has been working with Trump to transition from aid toward partnership and mutual investment. Netanyahu aims to wean Israel off U.S. military aid over the next 10 years.

Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security adviser in Israel, said Vance's call for change resonates with the isolationist and MAGA parts of the Republican Party. Freilich noted that if Netanyahu remains in office, the downward spiral in relations may worsen. If rival Gadi Eisenkot forms a government, it could take 10 to 20 years to undo the damage caused by current policies.