US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will halt its aid to Israel by the end of the year. In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump stated that the US gives Israel $4 billion a year and that they have made a deal to stop the aid. He claimed that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "fine" with the decision. The exact funding Trump meant was not immediately clear.
A memorandum of understanding that provides $3.8 billion in annual US military aid to Israel is approaching its expiration date in 2028. Conversations have been underway on how Washington's assistance to Israel would evolve beyond that date. Trump said that the US would still help Israel if they need it. The announcement came as Americans voted in crucial midterm elections, which saw the Democrats gain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Since its founding in 1948, Israel has received more than $300 billion, adjusted for inflation, in US economic and military assistance, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. This is far more than any other country in that time period. Netanyahu has in the past expressed a desire to end Israel's dependence on US aid. In May, he told US broadcaster CBS that he wanted to reduce US support to zero.
Trump's announcement was met with backlash from Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who said it showed that Netanyahu must go. Eisenkot stated that the fact that Israel's defense establishment is learning of a shift in their strategic relationship through the media at the same time as the Israeli public shows just how dangerous Netanyahu's conduct is.
The announcement also comes amid an eight-month war against Iran, with Trump confirming on Tuesday that the American military had carried out new strikes there. Trump cited criticism from leftist Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan's US Senate race over former Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed had notably harnessed popular discontent and anti-Israel sentiment as part of his campaign. Trump said that the US should not suffer criticism from people like El-Sayed when Israel does not need the aid. He claimed that it was a bad talking point. The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched in response to Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, has created deep divisions within the United States.
A June Quinnipiac University poll found that 48 percent of voters and 66 percent of Democrats believe the United States is too supportive of Israel, up from 16 percent and 20 percent when the question was first asked in 2017. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu's office on Trump's remarks. The Democrats' win in the US Congress could determine the direction of Congress for the last two years of Trump's presidency.
Key points
- US President Donald Trump announces end to US aid to Israel by year's end
- The aid package was worth $4 billion annually
- The decision was met with backlash from Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot
