Israeli opposition leader warns of deepening crisis with US amid planned military aid cuts

Yair Golan accuses Netanyahu of attempting to seize power as opposition steps up efforts to form emergency government

Israeli opposition Democratic Party leader Yair Golan warned on Friday that Israel's relations with the US were facing a “deepening” crisis amid planned cuts to American military aid and a widening rift with the US Democratic Party.

“The crisis with the US is deepening, military aid funds are being cut, and the rift with the Democratic Party is growing ever more severe,” Golan said in what he described as a “situation report”.

“This is a real danger to Israel, to its security. And we have no time to waste on political games,” he added.

תמונת מצב.

ישראל נמצאת בנקודה קריטית. האחריות שמוטלת עלינו, ראשי גוש השינוי, היא עצומה. אנחנו נחושים להקים ממשלת חירום לאומית - ומהר.

תראו מה קורה סביבנו. נתניהו בפאניקה, מנסה לבצע הפיכה ולתפוס שלטון בכוח. זיני והשב״כ נפלו לידי משפחת נתניהו. קודש הקודשים של ביטחון ישראל נמצא…

— Yair Golan - יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) November 6, 2026

His remarks came days after US President Donald Trump said that Washington would stop providing financial assistance to Israel by the end of the year under an agreement he said he had reached with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several months ago.

Israel's Channel 12 separately reported that the country's Finance Ministry had been unaware of Washington's intention to halt military assistance until Trump's announcement.

Read: Trump says US will stop $4 billion in funding to Israel at end of 2026

According to the broadcaster, the annual $3.8 billion in US assistance had been expected to provide a significant source of funding for Israel's defence budgets in 2027 and 2028.

Responding to criticism, Netanyahu's office said US military aid to Israel had historically enjoyed bipartisan support and portrayed the planned shift as a transition “from aid to partnership”.

Netanyahu's office says shift 'from aid to partnership' reflects the strength of US-Israel ties, in 1st response to Trump’s announcement that US military aid to Israel would end https://t.co/zACwDdfoZv

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) November 6, 2026

Golan accuses Netanyahu of attempting power grab

Golan linked the developments in relations with Washington to Israel's domestic political crisis following the October 27 elections.

He accused Netanyahu of being “in a panic” and attempting “to stage a coup and seize power by force”.

Golan also alleged that Shin Bet chief David Zini and the security agency had “fallen into the hands of the Netanyahu family”, accusing them of serving Netanyahu rather than the state.

Alongside his warnings, Golan said the opposition's Change Bloc was making progress toward establishing what he called a “national emergency government”.

“I’m more optimistic than I was on Wednesday morning, after the election results,” he said. “There is progress. There is willingness. And there is serious work taking place every day to turn the election results into a change government.”

He said negotiating teams from his Democratic Party and Yesh Atid had met several times this week and were working to accelerate the formation of a government.

“We are also intensifying public and political pressure on Netanyahu and his partners,” he said, adding that the opposition was preparing “to take control of the Knesset as early as Tuesday”.

Eisenkot receives backing from 67 lawmakers

The remarks came after President Isaac Herzog concluded consultations on Thursday with parties elected to the Knesset.

Herzog said factions representing 67 of the 120 lawmakers had recommended Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government, while parties representing 46 lawmakers backed Netanyahu. Seven lawmakers did not recommend either candidate.

Read More: Netanyahu's position weakens as rival secures broad backing to try to form government

Despite Eisenkot receiving recommendations from a parliamentary majority, Herzog said it remained unclear who could assemble a governing coalition because of “mutual vetoes between the blocs and within the blocs themselves”.

Herzog said he planned to task a lawmaker with forming the government on Sunday after further talks with party leaders.

🔴 Herzog concludes consultations with political parties: ‘I intend to task a member of Knesset with forming the government this coming Sunday’

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) November 5, 2026

The October 27 elections left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats, while Jewish opposition parties secured 48 and Arab-led parties won 19. Both Arab-led lists recommended Eisenkot during the presidential consultations.