Herzog calls Trump's aid cutoff a 'bolt from the blue'

Israeli President Isaac Herzog described President Donald Trump's announcement of ending US military aid to Israel as a "bolt from the blue," according to CNN. The statement came during the US midterm elections. Herzog raised the issue in a meeting with the "Yashar" party led by Gadi Eisenkot, a main rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He expressed deep concern, noting a memorandum of understanding with the US is supposed to last until 2028, and stressed the need for a stable government. Trump said aid would end this year, two years early, without providing details. The aid totals $3.8 billion annually for US weapons. Netanyahu has not commented publicly, and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee is seeking clarification while defending the partnership's value.