US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will stop providing its annual $4 billion in aid to Israel after 2026. The announcement came following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump said Netanyahu had agreed to end the financial assistance. However, he did not clearly explain what type of aid would be stopped or how the decision would be implemented. So far, neither Netanyahu’s office nor Israel’s Foreign Ministry has officially confirmed the agreement.
Trump also explained that criticism from Democrats influenced his decision to stop funding Israel. He mentioned Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate, as one of the people whose criticism played a role in the decision.
However, experts believe that ending US military assistance to Israel may take more time than expected. The two countries have several joint defence programs, weapons projects, and military agreements that could make an immediate end to funding difficult.
Thomas Warrick of the Atlantic Council said it was unlikely that military aid would completely end by December 2026. Instead, he suggested that the assistance could gradually be reduced or stopped in 2027.
The announcement could mark a major change in the long-standing military and financial relationship between the United States and Israel. However, further details about the decision and its implementation are still awaited.