US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he had reached an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end American payments to Israel by the end of the year. According to Trump, the agreement was reached with Israel's consent.
"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, referring to US aid to Israel, which amounts to approximately $4 billion annually.
Trump explained that Israel no longer needs American assistance to the extent it once did. "They've become a very successful country. They don't need it," he said, adding, "We're not going to pay Israel anymore." At the same time, Trump stressed that the US would continue to support Israel if necessary. "We'll help Israel if they need it," he added.
The president did not provide details of the agreement or clarify whether he was referring to a complete termination of military aid or a different arrangement between the two countries.
A $38 billion agreement
The current US-Israel military aid memorandum of understanding was signed in September 2016 under the Obama administration. It provides Israel with $38 billion in assistance over a decade, covering the years 2019 through 2028. The package includes $3.3 billion annually in military financing and an additional $500 million a year for joint missile defense programs, including Iron Dome, Arrow and David's Sling. The grants are primarily intended for the purchase of weapons and ammunition. Under the agreement, Israel is required to spend an increasing share of the funds in the US.
In January, Netanyahu told The Economist that during his December visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, he had outlined his desire to gradually reduce Israel's dependence on American military assistance. "We've matured and developed incredible capabilities, and therefore I want to gradually reduce military aid over the next 10 years," the prime minister said.
As previously reported by Israel Hayom, the two countries subsequently began advancing a framework for a new defense partnership that would reduce direct financial assistance while expanding cooperation on the development and production of weapons systems.
Criticism grows in the US
American aid to Israel has become an increasingly contentious issue within both US political parties over the past year. In July, more than half of House Democrats supported a proposal to eliminate military funding for Israel. Although the measure was defeated, the vote highlighted growing opposition to the assistance among Democratic members of Congress.
Meanwhile, calls to scale back support for Israel have also emerged on the American Right, including from prominent figures within Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. According to a Financial Times report, Trump himself told a Jewish donor that "my people are starting to hate Israel." The newspaper said the remark reflected growing concern among those close to the president about shifting attitudes within his political base.
Against that backdrop, Trump's latest announcement that payments to Israel would end takes on added significance, although he presented the move as a mutually agreed arrangement with Netanyahu rather than a unilateral decision by his administration.
For now, it remains unclear how the agreement described by Trump fits with the existing memorandum of understanding, which is scheduled to remain in effect through 2028, or with the original plan to phase out military aid gradually over a decade. Israel has also issued no official statement confirming the details of the agreement or when it would take effect.
