Trump says US will stop US$4bil funding to Israel at end of 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Washington would cease providing Israel with a $4 billion annual financial aid starting at the end of this year. Speaking to Fox News' Fox and Friends, Trump revealed that Israel no longer required the funding, stating that some Democrats and left-leaning politicians were using the financial support as a talking point to criticize Republicans. He added that they would continue to assist Israel if necessary.

Trump mentioned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and himself had agreed to stop the yearly funding by year-end. He also noted that the memorandum of understanding, which provides $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel, is nearing its expiration in 2028, and discussions are underway regarding how U.S. assistance to Israel would change beyond that date.

Trump emphasized that both Israel and Europe could purchase whatever they desired, and the United States manufactured the best weapons globally. Netanyahu reportedly expressed a desire to reduce Israel's reliance on U.S. military support within a decade, revealing that the time had come for Israel to transition from aid recipient to partner.

Public support for Israel has declined since the Gaza war commenced in 2023, particularly among Democrats. A June Quinnipiac University poll indicated that 48% of voters and 66% of Democrats believed the U.S. was too supportive of Israel, a significant increase from 16% and 20% in 2017 when the question was first posed. Support for Israel among Democratic voters has dropped considerably, with candidates critical of Israel winning Democratic primaries and even moderate lawmakers increasingly willing to challenge decades of U.S. support for Israel.