US Aid to Israel: Trump Says Washington Will End $4 Billion Annual Funding

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington would stop providing $4 billion in annual funding to Israel by the end of this year, following an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, it remains unclear which funding Trump was referring to or how the payments would be halted. The existing memorandum of understanding provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual US military assistance and does not expire until 2028.

Discussions have been underway about the future of American assistance to Israel beyond that date.

Speaking on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Trump said Israel no longer needed the money. He also argued that some Democrats and left-wing politicians were using US financial support for Israel to criticise Republicans.

“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 United States would stop paying Israel by the end of 2026 but would still help the country if necessary.

Neither the White House nor Netanyahu’s office immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

The remarks come amid declining public support for US assistance to Israel, particularly among Democratic voters, since the Gaza war began in 2023.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in June found that 48 per cent of US voters and 66 per cent of Democrats believed Washington was too supportive of Israel. When the university first asked the question in 2017, the figures stood at 16 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

Criticism of Israel has also become more prominent within the Democratic Party. Candidates opposing unconditional military assistance have gained support, while some moderate lawmakers have become more willing to challenge longstanding US policy.

Abdul El-Sayed, who was seeking a US Senate seat in Michigan in Tuesday’s midterm elections, opposed unconditional military aid to Israel. He argued that American funding should prioritise US citizens.

Trump specifically criticised El-Sayed while explaining his remarks about ending the funding. He said Israel did not need the assistance and objected to what he described as an unfair political argument against Republicans.

Criticism has also emerged within Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. Some supporters have questioned Israel’s influence on US policy, particularly amid the conflict with Iran.

The US Congress authorised funding for Israel through legislation passed in 2020. However, the House of Representatives and Senate must still approve annual appropriations bills to allocate and release the money.

Netanyahu also acknowledged uncertainty over future US assistance during an interview with an Israeli television channel in October.

He said Israel should prepare for the possibility that American financial support would not continue at its previous level, adding that the United States had changed.