Trump Says US Will End $4 Billion Annual Aid to Israel After 2026

President Donald Trump said on November 3, 2026, that the United States will stop providing roughly $4 billion in annual aid to Israel after the end of the year. He made the statement in a telephone interview with Fox News on the morning of the midterm elections.

Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed months earlier that the payments would end because Israel no longer needed the assistance. “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 told the network. He described the aid as a political talking point used by Democratic candidates, specifically mentioning Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

The existing memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 provides $3.8 billion a year in military assistance to Israel and does not expire until 2028. Trump did not explain how the cutoff would be implemented before that date. He said Israel could continue to purchase weapons from the United States and that any future assistance would be available if required.

Netanyahu has previously said he wanted to reduce US financial support to zero over the next decade. In a May interview he stated that Israel should begin drawing down the aid immediately. Israeli officials had not issued a formal response to Trump’s Election Day remarks by the evening of November 3.

US military aid to Israel has been a point of debate in American politics, particularly after the Gaza war. The annual package is used primarily to purchase American-made weapons systems, so much of the money returns to US manufacturers. Trump said the arrangement had become “too easy a target” for critics and that ending it would remove a talking point without harming Israel’s security.

The announcement came as voters went to the polls in midterm elections that would decide control of Congress. Trump also discussed the war with Iran and other foreign policy issues during the same interview. Mediators from Qatar and other countries have been engaged in talks aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reaching a broader understanding between Washington and Tehran.

Congress must appropriate the funds each year. A unilateral presidential decision to halt the payments would still require legislative or administrative steps to alter existing contracts and the memorandum of understanding. Analysts noted that any change before 2028 would need either Israeli agreement or a formal revision of the MOU.

The statement adds a new element to the debate over US support for Israel at a moment when both parties face pressure from parts of their bases on the issue. Democratic control of Congress after the midterms could further shape how any proposed change is handled in the next session.