Trump responds to Democrats' congressional sweep, proposes ending Israel aid
President Donald Trump sought to play down Democrats' midterm victories in his first public remarks after the party won control of both chambers of Congress. His appearance Wednesday followed a separate announcement that the US would end $4 billion in annual aid to Israel after 2026 while continuing weapons sales.
Democratic wins extend into Republican strongholds
Speaking at his new White House ballroom, Trump tried to dismiss the electoral setback. The Jakarta Post described the appearance as bizarre and the result as a sharp rebuke from voters.
The full extent of Democrats' gains was still emerging, but their victories included South Carolina, Texas and Iowa, states considered difficult for the party to win. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed declared victory in the Senate contest from his election headquarters in Detroit. "Michigan, we did it!" he said, describing himself as "your senator-elect."
Control of the House gives Democrats the power to block Trump's legislative agenda and open broad investigations into his administration. The Jakarta Post's pre-election coverage also noted that losing the Senate would threaten his ability to secure appointments to the Supreme Court and senior government posts.
Israel aid announcement faces congressional requirements
Trump said on Nov. 3, as Americans voted, that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to end the annual funding after this year. He said US weapons sales to Israel would continue.
The aid arrangement currently provides $3.8 billion a year, according to NBC News: $3.3 billion in military financing grants and $500 million for joint missile defense. Those commitments fall under a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016 during the Obama administration. It took effect in October 2018 and runs until 2028.
NBC News reported that stopping the funding abruptly at the end of 2026 would require congressional action, because Congress releases the money through annual appropriations.
Trump attributed the proposal to Netanyahu, telling Fox News, "He brought it up." Netanyahu's office declined to comment that day, NBC News reported. In January 2026, Netanyahu had expressed hope that Israel could "taper off" American military aid over the following decade.
The funding has also included substantial aid beyond the annual arrangement. A paper by William D. Hartung of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, prepared for Brown University's Costs of War project and cited by NBC News, put US military aid to Israel at at least $21.7 billion in the two years following the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israeli opposition criticizes the proposal as oil prices fall
Israeli opposition figures challenged the announcement, NBC News reported. Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, a Netanyahu rival, said the defense establishment and the public had learned about the change through media reports. He said Netanyahu "can no longer be trusted." Yair Golan of the left-wing Democrats party described ending US aid as "a severe blow to Israel's security."
Oil traders interpreted Trump's remarks as a possible indication that the Iran war could end without escalation, according to NBC News. Brent crude dropped 3% to $101 a barrel, its lowest price in more than three weeks, before recovering to $103 by noon ET.
Indonesia presses to activate ASEAN haze center
Indonesia plans to use the mid-November ASEAN summit in Manila to seek ratification of the agreement establishing the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC-THPC).
Although the center already has a secretariat in Jakarta, it needs at least six ASEAN members to ratify its establishment agreement before it can operate. Only Vietnam had submitted its ratification instrument as of Nov. 4, according to Ina Krisnamurthi, director general for ASEAN cooperation at Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, as reported by Antara News.
Indonesia and Singapore are also pursuing bilateral coordination on forest and land fires. On Oct. 27, Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan agreed to create a Joint Task Force on Strengthening Business Responsibilities to improve information sharing. Antara reported that Nasir subsequently chaired a ministerial-level coordination meeting on Nov. 3.
Regional leadership change and French bank cyberattack
Activist Yenny Wahid assumed the presidency of the ASEAN Confederation of Women's Organizations on Wednesday for the 2027-2028 term. The organization, known as ACWO, connects women's groups across Southeast Asia.
In France, regional bank Credit Mutuel Arkea disclosed Wednesday that a cyberattack had enabled roughly 100 million euros ($112 million) in fraudulent transactions.