El-Sayed Backs Trump's Plan to End US Military Aid to Israel by 2026
The Michigan senator-elect supports the president's announcement that aid will cease this year, despite a current agreement extending to 2028.
By Connor Murphy ·
Democratic Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed endorsed President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that the United States will stop providing military aid to Israel at the end of 2026. El-Sayed, who defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race on Tuesday, praised the move in an interview with NPR. "A broken clock is right twice a day," El-Sayed said. "I think the president is actually right on this policy."
The current framework for US aid to Israel is scheduled to expire at the end of 2028. Most of this funding is legally required to be spent on weapons manufactured in the United States. Trump stated that he reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conclude the aid by the end of this year. Netanyahu has previously suggested a gradual reduction over a ten-year period, but the president argued that Israel no longer requires the support.
Trump framed the decision as a response to Netanyahu's request, asserting that the change would limit the ability of critics to argue that the US provides more military aid to Israel than to any other nation. El-Sayed aligned with this view, stating that the US has a responsibility to retain funds for domestic investment. "I'd also like to see us stop selling weaponry that gets used to do the worst things, including genocide and apartheid to Israel," he said.
El-Sayed, a progressive, has frequently criticized Israel for its conduct. He said the US should treat Israel objectively, similar to how it treats other countries. He expressed support for investigations by the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice, bodies that the Trump administration has worked to halt. "What we've often done is trick ourselves by saying the phrase two-state solution, while we subsidize and aid, arm and abet the very people who are trying to foreclose on the possibility of a Palestinian state," El-Sayed added.
The new senator-elect also addressed his stance on Senate leadership. Democrats won the Senate in the midterms, positioning Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to retain his position, a role he last held in 2024. Schumer is a moderate with a long history of supporting Israel, though he has been critical of Netanyahu. El-Sayed declined to commit to backing Schumer for another term, citing a desire for new leadership. "I do believe we need new leadership and I think people are hungry for it," El-Sayed told The Associated Press.
El-Sayed noted that he is interested in exploring options with his caucus. "We need action, we need leadership toward that action, and I'm interested to see, working with the rest of our caucus, what options we've got," he said to NBC. With Democrats holding at least 54 seats, El-Sayed's vote is not expected to be decisive in the leadership contest. Schumer is widely expected to remain the party leader.
Schumer had supported El-Sayed's campaign. When Representative Haley Stevens, who was backed by Schumer but lost in the primary, endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Schumer called the move a "despicable betrayal." He stated that Senate Democrats were united in their support for El-Sayed because he would fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan.
In related news, an official from the Israeli Transportation Ministry's security division was questioned by police over suspected conflicts of interest linked to the foiled attack on flydubai Flight 1073. The investigation examines whether staff who performed private sector work related to their government duties received proper permissions. Separately, Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a defense cooperation agreement during President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh. The two nations also signed six development loan agreements worth over $403 million.
The Saudi agreement comes as Yemen's Houthis continue missile and drone attacks on the kingdom. Syria is weighing military assistance to Saudi Arabia amid the escalating conflict. The Saudi Fund for Development will provide concessional loans to support development sectors in Syria. These financial moves follow Saudi Arabia's role in helping re-establish Damascus' ties with world powers after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
