President Trump ridiculed the call on Tuesday from Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota to consider ending aid to Israel.
In a Monday press conference regarding her canceled trip to Israel with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Omar suggested that the U.S. aid to Israel could be stopped until they “ensure full rights for Palestinians if we are to give them aid.”
“We give Israel more than $3 [billion] in aid every year,” she stated. “This is predicated on them being an important ally in the region and the only democracy in the Middle East. But denying a visit to duly elected members of Congress is not consistent with being an ally, and denying millions of people freedom of movement or expression or self-determination is not consistent with being a democracy.”
Trump was asked to address those remarks while he spoke with reporters.
“No. You should see the horrible things that Tlaib has said about Israel,” Trump stated.
“I would not cut off aid to Israel,” he continued. “I can’t even believe that we are having this conversation. Five years ago, the concept of even talking about this, even three years ago, of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people that hate Israel and hate Jewish people, I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Where has the Democratic Party gone?”
In 2016, the United States and Israeli governments agreed to a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding on military aid, covering the fiscal years 2019 through 2028, totaling $38 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service.
