US President Donald Trump has announced plans to end Washington’s annual military assistance to Israel by the end of 2026, saying the country no longer needs the financial support.
Trump made the announcement on Tuesday during an interview on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, claiming he had reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the funding.
The assistance, worth about $3.8 billion annually, is provided under a 10-year security agreement signed in 2016 by the administration of former President Barack Obama. The agreement runs from 2019 to 2028.
Trump said the decision would not prevent Israel from purchasing American weapons, adding that the country had become economically strong enough to fund its own military needs.
He also suggested that growing criticism of US military support for Israel among Democratic politicians influenced the decision, specifically mentioning Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
According to the Associated Press, Trump said the United States would continue selling military equipment to Israel despite ending the annual assistance.
However, it remains unclear how the proposed move would affect the existing security agreement, which runs until 2028, or whether Congress would approve the changes.
Netanyahu has previously expressed a desire to gradually end Israel’s dependence on American military assistance, although he had proposed phasing it out over several years rather than immediately.
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