US funding for Israel to stop this year, Trump says, while offering help

Trump announces a funding change

Trump said the US and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reached a new deal. He said payments would end by year’s end, while the US would still help Israel if needed.

Trump argued Israel no longer needs Washington’s support. He also said some politicians on the Left use aid to Israel to criticize Republicans. Netanyahu’s office had not immediately responded.

Aid agreement remains uncertain

Trump did not identify the funding covered by his remarks. A 2016-era memorandum of understanding provides $3.8 billion in annual US military aid and is due to expire in 2028; discussions have begun about future funding.

In a May interview with CBS, Netanyahu said he hoped Israel could end its reliance on US military support within a decade. In a June letter to a US congressman, he said Israel should move from being an aid recipient to a partner.

Long history of US assistance

Israel has received more cumulative US aid than any other country since its founding. The Council on Foreign Relations estimates it has received more than $300 billion in economic and military aid since 1948, adjusted for inflation.

Political pressures mount

Netanyahu is trying to remain in office after losing his majority in last week’s elections. Trump had endorsed him, while warning that the US might have to finish the conflict with Iran alone if Israel had the wrong leader.

US public support for Israel has declined since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats. A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48% of voters and 66% of Democrats said the US was too supportive of Israel, compared with 16% and 20%, respectively, in 2017.