'They don't need it': Trump says US will end $4bn in annual aid to Israel by the end of the year
President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump announced he would end $4bn a year in aid to Israel, saying Netanyahu had previously expressed a wish to phase out US military aid to zero over the next decade.
Trump announced the deal on Election Day during a Fox & Friends interview, saying he and Netanyahu agreed "months ago" to end the payments. Netanyahu reportedly proposed the cut himself, telling Trump: "I think it would be appropriate if we do not receive aid." Arms sales to Israel will continue even after the cash and military aid stops.
The $4bn cut faces a significant legal obstacle: an Obama-era agreement commits the US to $3.8bn in annual military aid until 2028.
Trump said Democrats, including Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, had weaponised the payments as a symbol of unfairness, making them politically toxic for Republicans.
Congress will likely need to approve any changes to the existing aid agreement, setting up a potential standoff with Capitol Hill.
