New York State Senator-elect Aber Kawas has described US President Donald Trump’s announcement to cut off military assistance to Israel as a victory for the American public, arguing the shift carries both economic and moral weight.
Speaking in a recent CNN interview, the Palestinian-American lawmaker—elected in the November 3 midterm vote—said voters across New York and the United States have long demanded that taxpayer dollars fund domestic community development rather than foreign militaries, wars, and mass killings.
Kawas called Trump’s shift the culmination of nearly three years of grassroots organizing by citizens demanding an end to Israeli military aid, stressing that lawmakers should base such policies on moral conviction as much as cost.
Winning nearly 75% of the vote on November 3, Kawas made history as the first Palestinian-American and the first woman wearing a hijab elected to the New York State Senate, writing on social media after her victory, “We made history.”
On November 3, Trump announced the United States would halt roughly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel under an agreement to phase it out by year-end, declaring, “We are not going to give Israel money anymore.” According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, the surprise midterm-day announcement stunned Israel’s Defense Ministry and military brass, sparking fresh debate over future ties.
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