Trump says U.S. will end $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
November 04, 2026

Photo courtesy: ABC News

U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States will stop providing Israel with roughly $4 billion in annual military aid by the end of 2026, citing an agreement he claims to have reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump announced the plan during a Fox News interview on Tuesday, November 3, saying Israel no longer needs American financial assistance.

“They’ve become a very successful country. They don’t need it,” Trump said.

According to Trump, Netanyahu raised the idea of ending the assistance during discussions that began several months ago. He said both leaders agreed to stop the payments before the year ends.

The announcement comes as U.S. financial support for Israel faces growing political criticism, particularly among Democrats.

Trump acknowledged that the issue has become a campaign talking point, singling out Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has criticized American aid to Israel.

The president argued that continuing the payments gives political opponents an opportunity to question why Washington provides billions of dollars to Israel.

Despite the proposed funding cut, Trump said the United States would continue supporting Israel when necessary. He also indicated that Israel could still purchase American weapons, signaling a possible shift from military assistance to direct arms sales.

The United States currently provides Israel with approximately $3.8 billion annually under a 10-year security agreement signed in 2016. The arrangement, worth $38 billion, is scheduled to run through 2028.

Trump’s proposed cutoff would therefore come nearly two years before the existing agreement expires.

It remains unclear how Washington would implement the change. Congress plays a major role in approving military assistance, and the administration has not outlined the specific funding programs that would end.

Netanyahu has previously discussed reducing Israel’s reliance on American military aid over the coming years. However, his office had not publicly confirmed Trump’s latest announcement as of Tuesday.

The proposal could mark a significant change in U.S.-Israel defense relations, although its implementation would depend on further decisions by Washington and the terms of existing agreements.