Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States will end approximately 4 billion dollars in annual military and economic aid to Israel before the end of 2026, in a statement that shook the bilateral relationship on the very day Americans head to the polls for the midterm elections.
The president made the announcement during an exclusive phone interview with the program Fox & Friends, according to the agency EFE, and justified the measure with a straightforward argument: Israel no longer needs that money.
“We give them 4 billion dollars in goods and money, and they don't need it. Israel is the country we help the most; we give more to it than to any other country, and it no longer needs it. I have continued to do so, but Israel is a very prosperous country. It doesn’t need it. If it needed it, I would say we should maintain the assistance”, Trump stated.
The president clarified that the figure can be interpreted in different ways: "It can be seen as barter, military aid, or cash."
The most striking part of the announcement was the revelation that it was the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamín Netanyahu, who first raised the possibility of suspending the aid.
He stated it. He said, 'I think it would be appropriate for us not to receive assistance,' because he understands that this is one of the points that generates controversy. Israel has been a great ally, much more reliable than most.
The current legal framework complicates the immediate execution of the measure. The memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 during the Obama administration committed 38 billion dollars in military assistance for the fiscal years 2019-2028, averaging 3.8 billion annually. This agreement cannot be canceled by unilateral presidential decision, as Congress must approve the budget allocations each year.
In July 2026, the House of Representatives had already rejected an amendment to cut aid to Israel by a vote of 314 to 104, indicating potential legislative hurdles ahead.
The announcement comes at a time of internal political tension. Republicans are risking control of Congress this Tuesday, and the Democrats are favored to regain one or both chambers, which adds a clear electoral dimension to Trump's gesture.
The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu, although close, has not been without tensions. In June 2026, Trump referred to Netanyahu as "crazy" due to his stance on the conflict with Iran, although later he authorized Israeli reprisals against that country. The war that both nations launched against Iran more than eight months ago remains with its peace process stalled.
The Israeli opposition reacted strongly. Former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot stated that Netanyahu "must be replaced" for managing the strategic relationship with Washington in a "dangerous" manner, noting that the Israeli defense apparatus learned about the change through the media at the same time as the public.
Yair Golán, from the Israeli Democratic Party, described the end of aid as a "colossal failure" of Netanyahu and warned that the cost would fall on Israeli taxpayers, with potential negative impacts on the standard of living following a prolonged war that has deteriorated the country's air defense capabilities.
In May 2026, Netanyahu had proposed a gradual reduction of dependence on U.S. aid over a decade, with a possible culmination around 2036. Trump drastically accelerated that timeline, although he clarified that the United States would continue selling arms to Israel, shifting the relationship from subsidized aid to direct military sales.
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