President Donald Trump said the United States would end about $4 billion in annual aid to Israel after 2026 but continue arms sales, without explaining how the cutoff would work.
Trump made the announcement in a phone interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on November 3. He said that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to stop the payments. Trump said Netanyahu had raised the idea.
Trump argued that Israel no longer needed the assistance. He said the United States would still help if Israel needed support. He also linked the move to domestic politics.
He complained that Democrats use the aid to criticize Republicans. He named Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The timing and scope remained unclear.
Trump referred to stopping payments by the end of 2026. An Associated Press report described the aid ending in 2027. The current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding provides about $3.8 billion each year and runs through 2028.
This raised questions about how the proposed change would affect the arrangement. Trump did not specify which forms of aid would end. Netanyahu’s office had not commented in initial reports.