Trump announced that he will cancel the annual US aid to Israel by the end of 2026 following an agreement with Netanyahu

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that his country will stop providing financial assistance to Israel starting at the end of 2026, after reaching an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As he explained, the decision was agreed upon months ago and responds to his belief that the country has sufficient resources to sustain itself without depending on U.S. funds.

Trump made the statements this Tuesday during an interview on the Fox and Friends program on Fox News, where he confirmed that Washington will end the annual disbursements amounting to 4 billion dollars.

“Regarding payments to Israel, ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu and I had agreed that we would give 4 billion dollars a year, but months ago we agreed that we would stop doing that,” the president stated. He also specified: “We have already agreed that by the end of this year, we will stop paying Israel. However, we will help Israel if it needs it.”

When asked if the measure implied a definitive cut in assistance, Trump confirmed that it will take place by the end of the year.

He explained that Israel does not need those resources, defining it as “a very prosperous country” and “our number one.” Nevertheless, he clarified that he will maintain U.S. support if the situation requires it: “If they needed it, I would say to continue.”

Trump attributed the initiative to Netanyahu

During the interview, the U.S. president asserted that it was Netanyahu himself who raised the possibility of ending economic assistance.

“He said: ‘I think it would be appropriate for us not to receive aid’,” Trump recounted, who also stated that the Israeli prime minister “understands that this is one of his points of conflict.” He added, “they are fine with that.”

When asked about the type of resources involved, whether funds, equipment, or military assistance, Trump responded: “I’m giving four [billion], however you want to define it. You can consider it barter, military aid, or cash.”

The agreement and the background of U.S. assistance

The current assistance between both countries is established in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016, lasting ten years. The commitment includes 3.8 billion dollars annually until the fiscal year 2028: 3.3 billion allocated for military financing and another 500 million for missile defense programs.

Netanyahu had previously expressed his intention to reduce Israel's dependence on U.S. aid.

In January, during an interview with The Economist, he suggested that Israel aimed to end that assistance within ten years. Later, in May, during the 60 Minutes program, he stated that it should “be reduced to zero.”

However, the deadline of the end of 2026 mentioned by Trump represents a considerably shorter horizon than that publicly proposed by the Israeli prime minister.