Golan Warns of Deepening Israel-US Crisis

Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan has warned that the Israel-US crisis is deepening, as Washington moves to cut military aid and the rift with the Democratic Party widens.

The Israel-US crisis warning came in a situation report Golan posted on Friday. “The crisis with the US is deepening, military aid funds are being cut, and the rift with the Democratic Party is growing ever more severe,” he said.

“This is a real danger to Israel, to its security. And we have no time to waste on political games,” he added.

Aid cuts at the heart of the Israel-US crisis

Golan’s remarks came days after US President Donald Trump said Washington would stop providing financial assistance to Israel by the end of the year, under an agreement he said he had reached with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several months ago. Trump has said the US will stop $4 billion in funding to Israel at the end of 2026.

Israel’s Channel 12 separately reported that the country’s Finance Ministry had been unaware of Washington’s intention to halt military assistance until Trump’s announcement. According to the broadcaster, the annual $3.8 billion in US assistance had been expected to provide a significant source of funding for Israel’s defence budgets in 2027 and 2028.

Responding to criticism, Netanyahu’s office said US military aid to Israel had historically enjoyed bipartisan support and portrayed the planned shift as a transition “from aid to partnership”.

The warning matters because the aid has long underpinned Israel’s defence planning. A sudden end to the funding would force the government to find billions of dollars from its own budget at a time when its forces remain deployed across several fronts.

Golan accuses Netanyahu of attempting power grab

Golan linked the developments in relations with Washington to Israel’s domestic political crisis following the October 27 elections. He accused Netanyahu of being “in a panic” and attempting “to stage a coup and seize power by force”.

Golan also alleged that Shin Bet chief David Zini and the security agency had “fallen into the hands of the Netanyahu family”, accusing them of serving Netanyahu rather than the state.

Alongside his warnings, Golan said the opposition’s Change Bloc was making progress toward establishing what he called a “national emergency government”.

“I’m more optimistic than I was on Wednesday morning, after the election results,” he said. “There is progress. There is willingness. And there is serious work taking place every day to turn the election results into a change government.”

He said negotiating teams from his Democratic Party and Yesh Atid had met several times this week and were working to accelerate the formation of a government. “We are also intensifying public and political pressure on Netanyahu and his partners,” he said, adding that the opposition was preparing “to take control of the Knesset as early as Tuesday”.

Eisenkot backed by 67 lawmakers

The remarks came after President Isaac Herzog concluded consultations on Thursday with parties elected to the Knesset. Herzog said factions representing 67 of the 120 lawmakers had recommended Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, while parties representing 46 lawmakers backed Netanyahu. Seven lawmakers did not recommend either candidate.

Despite Eisenkot receiving recommendations from a parliamentary majority, Herzog said it remained unclear who could assemble a governing coalition because of “mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves”. Herzog said he planned to task a lawmaker with forming the government on Sunday after further talks with party leaders.

The October 27 elections left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats, while Jewish opposition parties secured 48 and Arab-led parties won 19. Both Arab-led lists recommended Eisenkot during the presidential consultations, giving him the backing that Golan’s camp is now trying to turn into a government.

Feature Pakistan has followed the post-election deadlock closely. Arab parties backed Eisenkot to form the next government, and Herzog had earlier pushed for a compromise between the rival blocs.

The rift Golan described also has a Washington dimension. Democrats have expanded their House majority to 253 seats as the midterm count continues, which gives the party real influence over future aid. At the same time, the Trump administration’s handling of the war with Iran has strained ties with lawmakers in both parties.

What did Golan warn about?

Golan warned that Israel’s crisis with the United States is deepening, with military aid funds being cut and the rift with the Democratic Party growing more severe. He called it a real danger to Israel and its security.

How much US aid is at stake?

The US provides about $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel. That funding had been expected to support Israel’s defence budgets in 2027 and 2028, but Trump says Washington will stop the assistance by the end of this year.

Who is Gadi Eisenkot?

Gadi Eisenkot is the leader of the Yashar party and a former Israeli military chief. Factions representing 67 of the 120 Knesset members recommended him to form the next government after the October 27 elections.

When will a new government be formed?

President Isaac Herzog plans to task a lawmaker with forming the government on Sunday after further talks with party leaders. Golan said the opposition was preparing to take control of the Knesset as early as Tuesday.