Washington, November 3,2026: US President Donald Trump has said Washington will stop providing $4 billion in annual funding to Israel by the end of this year under an agreement reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the United States would still assist Israel if needed.
In an interview with Fox News’ Fox & Friends on Tuesday, Trump said he and Netanyahu had reached the agreement months ago, arguing that Israel no longer needed the financial assistance.
“Now, as far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4bn a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” Trump said.
“We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel. Now we’ll help Israel if they need it,” he added.
There was no immediate response from Netanyahu’s office to Trump’s remarks. It also remained unclear which specific funding arrangement the US president was referring to.
The United States currently provides Israel with $3.8 billion annually in military assistance under a 10-year memorandum of understanding, which is due to expire in 2028. Discussions have been underway regarding the future of American military assistance to Israel beyond that period.
Trump said Israel would remain free to purchase military equipment from the United States and other suppliers, adding that Washington produces some of the world’s most advanced weapons.
In a May interview with CBS, Netanyahu said he hoped to reduce Israel’s reliance on US military assistance and eventually phase it out within a decade. In a June letter to a US congressman, he also said the time had come for Israel to move from being an aid recipient to becoming a partner.
Trump’s remarks come amid growing debate in the United States over Washington’s longstanding financial and military support for Israel, particularly following the Gaza war that began in 2023.
Public support for Israel has declined, especially among Democratic voters. A June Quinnipiac University poll found that 48 per cent of American voters and 66 per cent of Democrats believed the United States was too supportive of Israel. When the question was first asked in 2017, the figures stood at 16 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.
Criticism of US support for Israel has also gained traction among Democratic politicians, with candidates critical of Israeli policies making gains in party primaries and an increasing number of lawmakers questioning the longstanding approach.
Trump said some left-wing politicians and Democrats were using American financial assistance to Israel as an argument to criticise Republicans.
“The left uses the $4bn payment that everybody knows about — well, it’s no secret — as a signal of unfairness, and we can’t allow that to happen,” he said.
Reiterating his position, Trump said the annual funding would end by December, arguing that Israel no longer required the assistance.
