Trump says US will stop providing aid to Israel after year-end

In a telephone interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump announced that the US will cease providing funding to Israel at the end of the year. Trump claimed that a deal he struck with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "months ago" will result in the US no longer paying $4 billion annually to Israel. "We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel," Trump stated, adding that the US would still assist Israel if necessary.

The exact funds Trump was referring to were not immediately clear, though a memorandum of understanding providing $3.8 billion in military assistance to Israel expires at the end of 2028. The White House has yet to confirm the details. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office has also not commented on the matter.

Trump criticized Democrats for weaponizing US assistance to Israel as a political tool against Republicans, suggesting that Israel no longer requires American funding. He added that Israel has the option to purchase weapons from the US if needed. However, the specifics of any new procurement or investment arrangement to support Israel's military remain unknown.

Netanyahu previously expressed a desire to reduce US financial support to Israel to "zero" over a decade, starting immediately, according to a May interview with CBS. The US-Israel relationship, while still having bipartisan support, has been softening among Democrats following the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 48% of voters believe the US is too supportive of Israel, compared to 16% in 2017. Among Democrats, the figure is 67%, while it is 17% for Republicans.