Trump Says U.S. Will End $4 Billion in Annual Aid to Israel by Year-End

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will end about $4 billion in annual aid to Israel at the end of the year, because Israel no longer needs it. He made the remarks in a telephone interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on Election Day.

“Israel’s our number one [recipient], we give them more than anybody else. And they no longer need it,” Trump said, according to CNN. He said he had reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after talks spanning a couple of years.

What the current aid deal provides

The United States provides $3.8 billion in military aid a year under a 10-year memorandum of understanding that began in 2018 and is set to expire in 2028, CNN reported. Israel may use the aid to buy U.S. weapons, so the money goes to American arms makers. Trump said Israel could buy what it wants, and that the United States would help Israel if it needed help.

Trump did not give details on how the aid would stop at year-end, given that the memorandum runs through 2028, Reuters reported. Congress also has a part in funding decisions, since it appropriates the money.

Reaction in Israel

Netanyahu’s political rival Gadi Eisenkot said in a post on X that learning of the change through the media showed Netanyahu could no longer be trusted. Yair Golan, head of Israel’s Democrats party, called the move a “huge failure” on X.

Former U.S. Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller told CNN the timing was awkward, since Netanyahu is trying to form a coalition to stay in power. Miller questioned whether the administration would follow through if fighting with Iran resumes.

Reporting based on coverage by CNN and Reuters.