President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will stop giving Israel roughly $4 billion a year in aid by the end of 2026, a surprise announcement on Election Day that raised immediate questions about how, and whether, it can be done.
Speaking on Fox News, Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed months ago to end the funding. “We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel,” he said, according to Al Jazeera. He said the U.S. would still help Israel when needed, that Netanyahu had raised the idea, and that Israel “[doesn’t] need it,” ABC News reported.
What is actually being cut
Trump did not say which forms of aid would end or how. Most U.S. military aid to Israel falls under a 10-year memorandum of understanding signed near the end of the Obama administration that runs through fiscal year 2028. Under it, the U.S. provides about $3.8 billion a year, including $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing that Israel mostly uses to buy American-made defense equipment, according to ABC News.
The agreement itself is not legally binding, but Congress effectively wrote the annual funding levels into law in a defense bill for fiscal 2021 that passed with bipartisan support. Because Congress appropriates the money, Al Jazeera’s White House correspondent noted that the president cannot end it on his own. Thomas Warrick of the Atlantic Council told Al Jazeera he expects military aid to be phased out during 2027 rather than by the end of this year, because of ongoing missile defense and counter-drone programs.
Reaction in Israel
Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s Defense Ministry did not immediately comment. Two Israeli Finance Ministry sources told ABC News they were surprised, with one noting that next year’s budget had already been drafted under the current agreement. Netanyahu has previously called for phasing out U.S. military aid in favor of joint investments, but it is not clear whether he supports an abrupt end.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said the U.S. relationship is “a key component” of Israel’s national security and criticized Netanyahu, saying Israelis were learning of the change through the media.
The politics at home
Trump tied the timing to the midterms, saying he did not want to hand Democrats a talking point. He referred to Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a critic of U.S. support for Israel, who was projected Wednesday to win his Senate race, according to CBS News.
Views on the policy cut across party lines. In July, the House rejected, 314 to 104, an amendment from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie to cut Israel aid, with nearly half of Democrats supporting it, Al Jazeera reported. A December 2025 ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found 58% of Americans wanted the U.S. to reduce or end military support for Israel. Backers of the aid often point out that most of the money is spent on U.S.-made defense equipment.
The wider picture
The announcement comes as the U.S. and Iran review proposals from Qatari mediators, a day after the U.S. struck Iran’s Qeshm Island, according to WORLD’s morning news report. Upstormed News has followed those talks, including recent U.S. strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. With Democrats now set to control both chambers of Congress, as covered in our election results story, any change to aid will run through a new Congress in January.
Why it matters for families
Foreign aid is a small share of the federal budget, but decisions about it shape U.S. relationships in a volatile region where American service members are deployed. Families with loved ones in the military or with ties to Israel will want to watch how Congress responds.
What to watch next
Watch for a formal statement from Netanyahu’s office, details from the White House on which aid would end, and how leaders of both parties in Congress respond. Upstormed News will follow the story.
Read more: Russian Bombs Hit Ukraine Aid Center, Killing at Least 31, as Talks Are Set
How should the U.S. handle military aid to its allies? Share your view respectfully in the comments.
Sources: ABC News, “Trump says $4 billion in Israel military aid will end this year, citing political reasons” (November 3, 2026); Al Jazeera, “Trump says US will stop giving Israel aid after year-end” (November 3, 2026); WORLD, “Wednesday morning news: November 4, 2026” (November 4, 2026); CBS News, “2026 midterm election results” (November 4, 2026).
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