Rothman Flags Suspected Palestinian Meddling as Trump Ends U.S. Military Aid to Israel
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Simcha Rothman called for a probe into possible Palestinian Authority interference in Israel’s election, while President Donald Trump said Washington will cease about $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel after 2026, insisting the move was coordinated with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Lawyer Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionist Party told 103FM that a foreign state, identified as the Palestinian Authority, may have intervened in the recent Knesset election. He said a thorough investigation is needed to determine whether the alleged interference affected up to 500,000 votes and warned that fresh elections could be required if the findings warrant it, because no democracy can ignore such a grave allegation.
Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg announced that the official results will be published on Wednesday, rejecting attempts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s outgoing coalition to delay the release. He noted that the committee lacks authority to postpone the announcement, which must occur eight days after the vote under Israel’s Basic Laws, and said any allegations of wrongdoing could be taken to the courts, the proper venue for settling disputes rather than political theater.
In a Fox News interview on Election Day, President Donald Trump said the United States will stop providing roughly $4 billion in annual military assistance to Israel after the end of 2026, claiming an agreement with Prime Minister Netanyahu to phase out the funding. He added that the United States would still help Israel if needed, though he gave no details on the form of future support. Both Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s foreign ministry have not confirmed the announcement, and analysts note that the aid is appropriated by the U.S. Congress, making a unilateral termination unlikely despite the president’s declaration.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the decision, calling it a severe political and security failure, and accused Netanyahu of capitulating to the plan. Another opposition figure, Yair Golan, warned that the financial burden would fall on Israeli citizens.
Meanwhile, five opposition party heads, including Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar Party, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Yair Golan and Avigdor Liberman, met in Herzliya and agreed to coordinate efforts to replace the Netanyahu-led government with a national emergency coalition. Eisenkot’s bloc secured 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of a majority.
"They are trying to drag us all into a dangerous constitutional crisis," Eisenkot wrote on X, accusing Netanyahu and Likud of undermining public trust in the election results.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned the United States to prevent a renewed conflict after recent defensive strikes in the Strait of Hormuz.