Trump Shocks Israel, Announces End To $4bn Annual US Military Aid

US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington will end its annual financial and military assistance to Israel by the end of 2026, claiming that the decision was reached in an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, November 3, during a telephone interview with Fox News’ Fox & Friends, saying Israel had become economically strong enough to finance its own military needs without depending on American assistance.

According to the US president, Washington currently provides Israel with approximately $4 billion annually, but the arrangement would be discontinued following discussions with Netanyahu.

“Now, 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,” Trump said.

He added that the agreement had already been reached and that the United States would no longer make the annual payments to Israel after the end of this year.

“We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel. Now we’ll help Israel if they need it,” he stated.

Trump argued that Israel no longer needed the financial support because of its economic development and growing capacity to acquire military equipment independently.

He also suggested that continued American assistance to Israel had become a political liability for Republicans, particularly as Democratic politicians increasingly criticised the billions of dollars allocated to the Middle Eastern ally.

The president, however, indicated that ending direct assistance would not necessarily prevent Israel from purchasing American-made weapons.

“They can buy whatever they want. They can buy whatever they want. So can Europe. We make the greatest weapons in the world,” he said.

The announcement represents a potentially significant shift in one of Washington’s longest-standing military partnerships in the Middle East.

Under a 10-year security assistance agreement signed in 2016 and implemented from 2018, the United States committed to providing Israel with approximately $3.8 billion annually in military assistance through 2028.

The arrangement includes $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for missile defence programmes.

Trump’s latest declaration has raised questions about how the proposed termination would affect the existing agreement, particularly because American military assistance to Israel has been authorised through congressional arrangements.

Reports indicate that the precise mechanism for ending the funding ahead of the agreement’s scheduled expiration has not been clarified.

Netanyahu has previously expressed support for reducing Israel’s dependence on American military assistance, although he had discussed achieving that objective gradually over several years rather than through an immediate withdrawal.

There was no immediate official response from Netanyahu’s office to Trump’s latest announcement.

The development comes amid growing debate in the United States over military assistance to Israel, particularly following the Gaza war and increasing criticism of Washington’s support for the Israeli government.

Trump’s announcement could therefore mark a major turning point in US-Israel relations, although questions remain over the implementation and legal implications of the proposed funding withdrawal.

Trump Shocks Israel, Announces End To $4bn Annual US Military Aid