Trump Announces End to U.S. Aid to Israel by Late 2026

President Donald Trump stated that the United States will stop providing aid to Israel, approximately $4 billion annually, by the end of 2026. He made this statement on Tuesday, November 3, Election Day, in an interview with «Fox & Friends». However, the current agreement extends until 2028, and details on how the cut would be implemented have not been made public.

• Trump claims that Israel «no longer needs it» and that the plan was proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• The current memorandum of understanding provides for approximately $3.8 billion annually until 2028, and Netanyahu’s office did not immediately confirm the alleged agreement.
• In Israel, high-ranking economic officials warn of a possible cost of around $8 billion to taxpayers.

Why it matters: The United States has been Israel’s primary military backer for decades. A change of this magnitude would affect Israel’s defense budget, the relationship between the two countries, and the political debate in Washington.

What Trump said

According to Fox News, Trump stated: «We were giving them $4 billion — we give it to them — but it’s cut off at the end of the year». He added that Israel is a «very prosperous country» that can buy its own weapons and that the aid includes «things and money»: military assistance, cash, or «bartering».

The president assured that he has been discussing the issue with Netanyahu for years and that the idea originated from the prime minister himself. According to Bloomberg Línea, he said that they agreed «months ago» to stop providing the money and that «they’re okay with it». He also stated that if Israel needed it later, the United States would provide it.

Trump also acknowledged a political component. He mentioned the Senate race in Michigan between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers: «Why should we suffer attacks from crazies like El-Sayed when they don’t need it? It’s a bad campaign argument». According to Bloomberg Línea, he claimed that the left uses the payment as a «sign of injustice». According to Reuters, the United States will continue to sell weapons to Israel.

What the current agreement says until 2028

The memorandum signed in 2016, during the Barack Obama administration, covers the fiscal years 2019 to 2028, according to The Jewish Weekly. Reuters noted that Trump did not explain how the funding would be stopped at the end of the year, given that the agreement is still in effect.

According to The Jewish Weekly, without Congressional action or formal renegotiation, the president cannot unilaterally cancel already approved funds. Infolibre recalls that the United States has provided over $300 billion in assistance to Israel since 1948 and over $16 billion in direct military aid since October 2023.

Surprise in Israel

According to Ynet, the Israeli Ministry of Finance was unaware that Trump would make the announcement and declined to comment officially. In Israel, it is interpreted that the president referred to the end of the memorandum. Until Tuesday, no agreement to completely terminate aid had been made public.

High-ranking economic officials told Ynet that it would be a serious decision: «Giving up two years of aid is essentially $8 billion. Where will we get it from? Clearly, from citizens’ taxes».

Netanyahu, for his part, had already spoken about reducing that dependence. According to Infolibre, in May 2026, he told CBS that he wanted to «reduce to zero» U.S. financial support. In October, according to Fox News, he warned an Israeli channel: «Prepare and get used to it not happening, because the United States has changed». Fox notes that no deadlines or conditions have been detailed.

What’s next

Several questions remain unanswered: whether there will be a formal renegotiation, whether Congress will intervene, and what will happen to the memorandum funds for 2027 and 2028. It is also unclear whether the cut would affect anti-missile defense.

The issue weighed in the midterm campaign. According to EFE, El-Sayed, who won the Michigan seat according to AP and CNN projections, campaigned against military aid to Israel. You can view the overall results in our midterm election results.

For now, Netanyahu’s office has not confirmed the alleged agreement. It remains to be seen whether the White House and Jerusalem will present a detailed plan before the end of the year.

Sources: Fox News; Reuters; Bloomberg Línea; Ynet; Infolibre. Data consulted on November 4, 2026.