End billions of dollars in military aid to Israel

Trump says he will end billions of dollars in military aid to Israel

Congress will likely need to weigh in on any decision between the U.S. and Israeli leaders.

By Ben Johansen and Paul McLeary

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the U.S. will end nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of the year, setting up a possible standoff with Congress after the midterm elections.

The president said on “Fox and Friends” that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed “months ago” to stop the aid.

“They’re fine with it because they’ve become a very successful country,” the president said. “They don’t need it. And we won’t be paying anymore. … By the end of this year, we won’t be paying Israel. We’ll help Israel if they need it. They’ve been a great ally.”

The Israeli embassy could not immediately be reached for comment. The Pentagon and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The announcement could portend a significant shift in the U.S.-Israel relationship, which has long been underpinned by billions of dollars in American military assistance. Under a 10-year agreement signed during the Obama administration, the U.S. committed to providing Israel with $38 billion in military aid between fiscal years 2019 and 2028.

The agreement is not set to expire until 2028, raising questions about how the administration intends to end the assistance two years early and whether Congress would need to approve the change.

In the interview Tuesday morning, Trump said that the annual assistance to Israel is a “bad talking point” for Democrats, including Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. “The left uses the $4 billion payment … as a signal of unfairness. And we can’t allow that to happen. I don’t like that. … It’s almost too easy to target.”

The vast majority of that military funding comes in the form of financing that allows Israel to buy U.S. military equipment. In the first year of the 10-year Obama deal, 75% was mandated to be spent in the U.S. And by 2026, more than 90% of that money was directed to American defense companies, essentially never leaving the U.S.

Traditionally, the $3.8 billion in financing includes $3.3 billion in foreign military financing and another $500 million for cooperative missile defense programs. The funding counts for less than 1% of the annual U.S. federal budget.

Israel maintains its status as a major non-NATO ally, a designation which prioritizes it for arms sales and transfers of excess American military equipment.

Trump said the Israeli leader first broached the topic. According to Trump, Netanyahu said, “‘I think it would be appropriate if we don’t receive aid.’ Because he understands that this is one of their points of contention.”