{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1913501,
        "msgid": "what-happens-if-the-us-halts-aid-to-israel-1786459854",
        "date": "2026-08-11 20:53:00",
        "title": "What Happens if the US Halts Aid to Israel?",
        "author": "Wisnu Arto Subari",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "A growing faction within the US Democratic Party is pushing to end financial aid and arms sales to Israel, a stance once considered radical. Analysts suggest that while halting the annual $3.8 billion in aid would be politically popular, it would have minimal economic impact on Israel, which could fund the shortfall by slightly increasing its defence spending. However, cutting off the supply of advanced US weaponry, which accounts for 68 per cent of Israel's major arms imports, could significantly constrain its military capabilities, though it may not shift Israeli public opinion against a two-state solution.",
        "content": "<p>In recent months, two ideas once considered radical in Democratic\nParty policy thinking\u2014cutting financial support and halting arms\ntransfers to Israel\u2014have become mainstream. This shift reflects growing\ntensions within the party regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip and\nthe West Bank, Palestine. Last month, nearly half of the Democrats in\nthe US House of Representatives voted to end aid to Israel. Meanwhile,\naround 40 per cent of the caucus called for blocking offensive weapons\nsales until the Israeli government can convince Congress that American\nbombs will not be used to commit war crimes. This trend is not only\noccurring at the legislative level but is also beginning to spread to\npotential candidates for the 2028 election. Rahm Emanuel, the former\nMayor of Chicago known for his centrist views, recently suggested that\nAmerica should end aid and place conditions on arms sales based on\nIsrael\u2019s compliance with US law. On the progressive side, Senator Chris\nVan Hollen of Maryland went further by stating that Israel should be\nbarred from accessing US-made offensive weapons until they agree to a\ntime-bound plan to end the occupation and implement a two-state\nsolution. Although halting the annual aid of US$3.8 billion is\npolitically popular, analysts assess that its impact on Israeli policy\nwould be minimal. Israel is a wealthy country capable of funding its own\nmilitary. In 2025, Israel spent approximately 7.9 per cent of its GDP on\ndefence. Without US aid, this figure would only need to rise to 8.5 per\ncent, an increase considered well within their economic capacity. In\nfact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once expressed a desire to\nreduce financial dependence on the US to gain greater freedom in\nsecurity operations. Unlike monetary aid, Israel has a significant\ndependence on US weapons technology. Between 2021 and 2025, America\nsupplied 68 per cent of Israel\u2019s major arms imports. The most critical\ndependency lies in its fleet of fighter jets such as the F-15, F-16, and\nF-35. Although military pressure could limit Israel\u2019s combat\ncapabilities, it would not necessarily change their political stance on\nPalestinian sovereignty. Public opinion in Israel has shifted to the\nright over recent decades. A 2025 Gallup poll showed that only 27 per\ncent of Israelis support a two-state solution, while 63 per cent oppose\nit. To truly change Israel\u2019s political calculus, far more drastic\nmeasures than simply cutting off offensive weapons aid would be\nrequired. Regardless of whether such pressure succeeds in changing\nIsraeli policy, many on the left wing of Congress argue that the primary\ngoal is to end US complicity in human rights violations. Daryl Kimball,\nExecutive Director of the Arms Control Association, stressed that the US\nhas a moral responsibility because it has played a major role in\ncreating Israel\u2019s conventional military superiority. According to him,\nusing influence to avoid being an accomplice in war crimes is a priority\nseparate from the final political outcome in the region.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-happens-if-the-us-halts-aid-to-israel-1786459854",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}