Trump says US will end financial aid to Israel by year’s end
President claims Netanyahu agreed to halt $4 billion annual package, citing Israel's success and domestic political pressures in the United States.
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Washington will cease providing financial aid to Israel by the end of the year. He stated this decision follows an agreement reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their recent interactions.
Trump told Fox News that he and Netanyahu made a deal months ago to stop the annual $4 billion allocation. He explained that Israeli leaders are comfortable with this change because Israel has become a very successful country that is no longer in need of such subsidies.
The president clarified that the cutoff applies broadly to direct financial grants and material defense transfers. He described the previous arrangement as involving both cash and military items, noting that Israel does not require these resources anymore given its current economic and strategic status.
Trump emphasized that ending foreign aid packages will not halt commercial weapons transactions. He stated that Israel remains free to purchase American defense equipment on the open market, asserting that the United States produces the greatest weapons in the world for global buyers.
He argued that the left uses the $4 billion payment as a signal of unfairness, which he said cannot be allowed to continue. Trump added that Netanyahu initiated the proposal to phase out the aid after several years of bilateral discussions between the two nations.
No officials from Jerusalem have responded to these remarks or verified any formal pact to end the yearly support. The president described Israel as a regional partner with whom the US maintains a tremendous relationship despite the changes in financial support.