United States President Donald Trump has announced that Washington will terminate its yearly $4 billion aid package to Israel by the end of 2026, following a mutual agreement reached with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump disclosed the arrangement during an interview with Fox News’ Fox & Friends, saying the decision had been agreed upon months ago.
“Now, as far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4bn a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” he said.
“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.”
According to Aljazeera, the US president did not specify the form of assistance covered by the proposed arrangement, leaving it unclear whether he was referring exclusively to military funding or other forms of aid.
The US State Department had yet to respond to a request for comment from Al Jazeera at the time of the report.
Asked why his administration was ending the payments, Trump said Israel was no longer dependent on the funding.
“Because they don’t need it. If they did need it, I would say ‘keep going,’” he said.
The announcement comes amid growing debate in the United States over military assistance to Israel and the influence of pro-Israel campaign contributions on American politics.
Support for Israel, which has enjoyed decades of bipartisan backing in Washington, has increasingly become a point of disagreement among political leaders, particularly over Israel’s war in Gaza.
In July, the US House of Representatives rejected an amendment seeking to cut off aid to Israel, despite support from nearly half of Democratic lawmakers.
The measure, introduced by outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky as an amendment to a State Department spending bill, was defeated by 314 votes to 104.
Reacting to Trump’s announcement, former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised the timing of the decision, linking it to the midterm elections.
“Amazing how being on the verge of Republicans getting wiped out in the midterms changes hearts and minds,” Greene wrote on X.
She also questioned whether the reported agreement with Netanyahu would have any effect on the election.
“Trump getting permission from Netanyahu to end annual aid to Israel isn’t going to change today’s election results,” she added.
What You Should Know
This decision marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, as the United States has provided billions in annual support to Israel for decades. President Trump stated that the move comes because Israel has grown strong enough to no longer depend on these payments.
- Potential Benefits: Ending the payments could save the U.S. government $4 billion annually, which could be redirected to other national priorities.
- Potential Risks: This might signal a change in the longstanding alliance, potentially affecting regional stability or defense cooperation in the Middle East during active conflicts.
