Donald Trump Announces Plan to End Military Aid to Israel

United States President Donald Trump announced that Washington would end its annual military assistance to Israel by the end of the year.

Trump stated during a phone interview with Fox News that a deal to stop the funding had been reached months ago because Israel is a thriving country that no longer needs the financial support. The president added that the current assistance program had become an easy political target for critics, including Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who have questioned why the United States provides four billion dollars annually to Israel.

The announcement coincided with midterm elections in the United States, which resulted in Democrats gaining control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The current security assistance agreement between the two nations provides for approximately $3.8 billion annually through September 2028 under a 10-year memorandum of understanding established during the administration of then President Barack Obama.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously expressed a desire to gradually phase out Israel reliance on US military aid, and Trump asserted that Netanyahu agreed with the cessation. Security officials in Israel stated they were taken by surprise by the announcement, and Israel's finance ministry reported having no knowledge of any plans to immediately end assistance. Opposition leaders in Israel accused Netanyahu of jeopardizing the country security and economy following the unexpected declaration.