Trump says US will end $4 billion annual military aid to Israel by December

Trump has announced plans to end annual military assistance to Israel by December 2026, claiming the country no longer needs US funding

US President Donald Trump said Washington will stop providing nearly $4 billion in annual military assistance to Israel by the end of 2026, marking a potential shift in the two countries' decades-long defence relationship. 

 

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said he had discussed the decision with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the US would still help Israel if it needed military support.

 

“We've ??already agreed that ??by the end of this year we won't be paying Israel," Trump told the news channel. ‌"Now we'll help Israel if they need it."

 

The move comes ahead of the scheduled expiry of the 10-year US-Israel military assistance agreement in 2028. Signed in 2016, the agreement commits Washington to providing $38 billion in military assistance, including $33 billion in military financing and $5 billion for missile defence.

 

 

Trump told Fox News that Israel no longer needed US funding. “As far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we're stopping," he said.

 

Why is Trump ending US military aid to Israel?

 

Trump's decision comes against the backdrop of growing political opposition in the US to funding for Israel, particularly following its military campaign in Gaza.

 

Trump explicitly linked the decision to domestic political criticism, arguing that Democrats had been using American assistance to Israel as an electoral issue.

 

Speaking to Fox News, he referred to Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has criticised US military support for Israel, and questioned why Republicans should face political attacks over funding that Israel supposedly no longer needs.

 

"It's a bad talking point," Trump said, suggesting that ending the aid would remove an important issue from Democrats' political campaign.

 

The timing is significant as the announcement came on November 3, the day of the US midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Congress for the remainder of Trump's presidency. 

Israel will be able to buy American weapons

 

Trump has indicated that ending the financial aid would not prevent Israel from purchasing US military equipment.

 

The distinction matters: the move changes the financial terms of the relationship rather than necessarily ending defence cooperation.

 

Under the existing arrangement, a large share of US military aid is used to procure weapons and equipment manufactured in the US. 

 

If Israel finances these purchases itself, US defence manufacturers could continue supplying the Israeli military through commercial sales.

 

Netanyahu has previously said Israel should gradually reduce its dependence on US military aid. In his May interview with CBS, the Israeli PM said he wants to "draw down" US financial support to Israel "to zero" from the annual $3.8bn the country receives.

 

"Let's start now and do it over the next decade, over the next ten years, but I want to start now," he said. "I don't want to wait for the next Congress. I want to start now."