Article
Donald Trump’s Record on Israel
July 18, 2025
We cannot trust Donald Trump to stand with Israel. As his former National Security Advisor John Bolton said, “Trump’s support for Israel in the first term is not guaranteed in the second term, because Trump’s positions are made on the basis of what’s good for Donald Trump, not on some coherent theory of national security.”
Trump is demonstrating in his second term that he is not good for Israel. The following examples illustrate how Trump has betrayed Israel through his dangerous national security breaches, cuts to foreign aid, harmful economic policies, and misguided approach to foreign policy:
- Rescission package cuts key funding for Middle East peace initiatives: Trump’s rescission package, passed by the Senate and House on July 17 and 18, 2025, cuts approximately $361 million from U.S. contributions to United Nations peacekeeping activities, which includes funding for UNIFIL, the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon facing Hezbollah tensions. Reduced U.S. support could undercut UNIFIL’s mandate to monitor the Israel-Lebanon border, increasing regional insecurity and strengthening Hezbollah’s presence near Israel’s borders. $800 million was cut from the Migration & Refugee Assistance account, which supports Palestinian refugee populations and other humanitarian channels; cutting this funding further destabilizes and radicalizes the region and its populations. Lastly, the package rescinds $1.65 billion from the ESF, which finances U.S.-backed development and security assistance to allies, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.
- Leverages aid to Israel on the outcome of Netanyahu’s corruption trial: In a dangerous and unprecedented move, Trump appeared to leverage his support for aid to Israel and military assistance on whether Israel cancels Prime Minister Netanyahu’s corruption trial, calling the case “nothing” and claiming he is “not going to stand for this.”
- Houthi truce that excluded Israel: President Trump announced that the U.S. would “stop the bombings” against the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen – a campaign the U.S. has been carrying out against the Houthis since mid-March in response to the group’s attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and on Israel. An Israeli official said that the US did not inform Israel about its de facto truce with the Houthis before Trump announced it in the Oval Office. Trump’s agreement with the Houthis does not require the Houthis to stop attacking Israel, and the Houthis have launched attacks on Israel since then.
- Repeatedly sidelining Israel: The Trump administration has held direct talks with the Houthis, Hamas, and Iran without including Israel, and lifted sanctions on Syria without consulting Israel. Trump chose not to visit Israel when he visited the region the week of May 12, and he cut a deal with Saudi Arabia that did not include normalizing ties with Israel.
- Imposed Harsh Tariffs Against Israel: On July 31, Trump announced that a 15 percent tariff would be imposed on goods from Israel starting on August 7. Though slightly lower than Trump’s initial 17% rate, which he announced in April and then paused, these tariffs will deeply damage Israeli industries that rely on exports to the United States, including its wine and tech industries, and will make kosher products that Jewish Americans rely on more expensive.
- Appointment of Steve Witkoff as Special Envoy on Iran: Trump appointed Steve Witkoff, a real estate investor and current Middle East envoy, to lead U.S. efforts on Iran. Witkoff praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, admitted to being “duped” by Hamas in failed hostage negotiations, and indicated that Hamas should have a role in governing Gaza after the war.
- Cut $13 Million in Grants to Israeli Institutions: The State Department’s March 2025 budget cuts included the elimination of nearly $13 million in grants allocated to Israeli universities and research institutions. These cuts predominantly affect agricultural research projects focusing on crop resilience and water management, as well as studies on desalination, wastewater treatment, and public health issues like combating bird flu.
- Endangered Israel Through Intelligence Leaks: A journalist was included by senior Trump administration officials on a group chat regarding imminent U.S. military action on the messaging app Signal, which is not approved for such communications. The chat included sensitive intelligence provided by Israel concerning military operations in Yemen, raising concerns among Israeli intelligence officials, who were allegedly furious at the leak and the mishandling of sensitive intelligence.
- Termination of the Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program: The administration terminated the MERC program, which supported scientific collaboration between Israel and Arab states. With over 40 active grants, MERC facilitated joint research in agriculture, water management, public health, sustainability, and conservation, fostering direct cooperation between Israeli and Arab scientists.
- Cuts to the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA): The Trump administration paused and subsequently cut funding to MEPPA, a bipartisan initiative passed by Congress in 2020 to support joint Israeli-Palestinian economic development and people-to-people peacebuilding. Defunding MEPPA undermines efforts to reach peace and build coexistence and regional stability.
- Cut Aid to Jordan: Jordan, which has historically received approximately $1.72 billion annually in foreign assistance, is grappling with cuts of $770 million in economic aid from USAID. The stability of Jordan, with whom Israel has a peace agreement, is crucial for maintaining regional equilibrium and ensuring Israel’s security. Any destabilization resulting from aid reductions could lead to increased tensions and undermine collaborative efforts aimed at promoting peace and security in the Middle East.
- Amer Ghalib – Pro-BDS Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait: In March 2025, President Trump nominated Amer Ghalib, the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, as ambassador to Kuwait. Ghalib has voiced support for the BDS movement; in May 2024, he backed a city council measure in Hamtramck endorsing BDS and pledging the city to divest from Israel and related entities.
- JD Vance and MAGA’s Isolationist Views: JD Vance’s isolationist views run directly contrary to Israeli and American interests. He has said the U.S. might not support Israel in countering Iranian threats. He voted against the supplemental aid package to Israel in the Senate twice, each time delaying crucial aid in the aftermath of October 7. In July 2025, Trump told a prominent Jewish donor that the MAGA world is “starting to hate Israel.”
Click here to read a compressed version of Trump’s record on Israel.