While President Donald Trump has halted military aid to Ukraine as part of a wave of politically motivated spending cuts, his administration has doubled down on taxpayer-funded handouts to Israel. The shift comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to escalate his ongoing multi-front conflict—one that risks entangling the United States.
Netanyahu was welcomed at the White House as a guest of honor in early Februar, where Trump not only reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to faithfully serve Israeli interests but made a show of deference—pulling out the Israeli leader’s chair as he took his seat. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky received far less accommodating treatment during his February 28 White House visit. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly humiliated the Ukrainian leader, signaling a stark shift in Washington’s policy priorities.
On Monday, the Trump administration announced it would halt military aid to Kiev, a decision that followed the heated public exchange between Trump and Zelensky. Meanwhile, with far less media scrutiny, Secretary of State Marco Rubio quietly signed off on a $4 billion taxpayer-funded aid military package for Israel—circumventing Congress to expedite the transfer.
In less than two months, Trump has greenlit $12 billion in weapons shipments to Israel, including 35,000 2,000-pound bombs—munitions previously withheld under the Biden administration due to their use in mass civilian casualties in Gaza. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that the administration approved additional munitions “that were previously not supplied” to Israel.
The surge in U.S. arms transfers comes as Netanyahu continues to defy the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement signed in January, raising the prospect of renewed hostilities. In a move that openly violates international humanitarian law, Tel Aviv has now declared its intent to once again impose a complete blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
Israeli media recognizes billionaire Israeli government asset Miriam Adelson as a “modern day Rothschild” using her vast fortune to dictate Trump’s policy on Gaza, where he is now supporting Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid in criminal abrogation of the ceasefire terms pic.twitter.com/orwoNAVQ9X
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 4, 2025
In a speech before the Knesset earlier this week, Netanyahu declared that his armed forces were preparing “for the next stages” of what he called a “seven-front war.” Pledging unwavering military action, he vowed, “We will not stop until we achieve total victory—returning all our hostages, destroying Hamas’ military and governing power, and ensuring Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel.”
While Trump has stressed the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine—warning that Zelensky is “gambling with World War Three”—Israel is reportedly weighing potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Though Tehran does not possess nuclear weapons, Israel is believed to have between 90 and 300 warheads. Following repeated Israeli attacks on Iranian soil last year, some Iranian policymakers have hinted at reconsidering their stance against developing a nuclear deterrent.
As Israel expands its occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian territory, Washington risks being pulled into a widening regional conflagration. In a show of force, the U.S. recently flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over Gaza for the first time, with Trump warning that “all hell” could break loose there. In response, Yemen’s AnsarAllah has threatened to re-enter the fight alongside Hamas and other Palestinian factions if Israel resumes its offensive.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has redeployed its USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to the Central Command area of responsibility, with more B-52 bombers arriving in the region and Washington posturing against Iran on Israel’s behalf, concerns are mounting over the possibility of another costly war in the Middle East.
As Washington accelerates arms shipments to Israel while dialing back support for Ukraine, the strategic calculus of U.S. foreign policy is increasingly being driven by Tel Aviv. With Netanyahu openly preparing for a multi-front war and regional tensions on the rise, the White House now finds itself at a crossroads: rein in its closest Middle Eastern ally or be dragged into yet another devastating and costly conflict.
Feature photo | Screenshot | C-SPAN
Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47
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