Trump Says U.S. Will End Roughly $4 Billion in Annual Aid to Israel by End of 2026

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will stop providing approximately $4 billion in annual funding to Israel after December 2026, stating that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached the agreement months earlier. Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on the morning of the midterm elections.

“We were giving them $4 billion — we are — but it gets cut off at the end of the year,” Trump said. He added that he and Netanyahu “made a deal months ago that we’re stopping” and that “by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel.” Trump said Netanyahu raised the idea and that the two had discussed ending the assistance for some time. “They don’t need it,” Trump said. “Israel is a very thriving country.” He stated that Israel could still purchase U.S. weapons and that the United States would provide help if Israel needed it.

Trump described the annual payments as a “bad talking point” used by Democrats and left-wing politicians against Republicans. He specifically referenced Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, saying there was no reason for Republicans to “suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed” when Israel no longer required the funds. When asked whether the cutoff applied to military aid, cash, or other forms of support, Trump said it could be defined “any way you want to define it,” including as barter, military aid, or cash totaling roughly $4 billion in “things and money.”

The current U.S.-Israel security assistance memorandum of understanding provides about $3.8 billion annually and runs through 2028. It was signed in 2016 under the Obama administration. Reports from multiple outlets noted that it was not immediately clear how the funding would be halted at the end of 2026 given the terms of the existing agreement, and that discussions have been underway regarding assistance beyond that date. Israel is permitted under the current arrangement to use the aid to purchase American-made weapons, directing the funds to U.S. manufacturers.

Netanyahu has previously indicated a desire to reduce reliance on U.S. financial support. In earlier statements this year, he expressed interest in tapering the aid toward zero over the coming decade. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office had not issued a public comment on Trump’s remarks as of Tuesday afternoon. Some Israeli defense and financial officials were reported to have been surprised by the timing of the announcement.

Trump emphasized that the change would not end the U.S.-Israel alliance. “Now we’ll help Israel if they need it,” he said. “You know they’ve been a great ally.” He described Israel as the United States’ “number one” recipient of such support and stated that the country no longer required the annual funding given its economic position. The announcement came as voters cast ballots in midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

The exact mechanism for ending the payments, the specific accounts or programs affected, and any formal documentation of the agreement described by Trump have not been released. The White House has not provided additional details beyond the president’s statements on Fox News.