US to end $4 billion annual aid to Israel in 2027, Trump says

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States will cease providing $4 billion in annual aid to Israel in 2027, replacing it with direct weapons sales. Speaking on Fox News during a phone call on Election Day, Trump stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached him with the idea. The two leaders have discussed the change for several years, according to Trump.

The president characterized the current aid as unnecessary for Israel and costly for the United States. He noted that the $4 billion figure has become a central argument for Democratic candidates, such as Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who have openly criticized the relationship. Trump described the new arrangement as a trade, saying, 'We give them $4 billion in stuff and money, and they don't need it.'

This announcement follows a long history of US military support. In 2016, President Barack Obama signed a security deal that committed $38 billion over 10 years to the Israeli military. That agreement, which equates to $3.8 billion annually, gradually shifted spending from Israeli products to US industries. Netanyahu previously told The Economist in January that he wanted to 'gradually reduce' this aid over the next decade.

The timing of the announcement drew scrutiny from analysts. David Schenker, Trump's former chief diplomat for the Middle East and now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the move was unlikely to shift votes among Republicans or Democrats. 'It is an open question whether this was for politics, but it is not going to change the Republican voter, and certainly not the Democratic voter,' Schenker said.

In Israel, the opposition reacted quickly to the news. Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival and a former military chief, criticized the prime minister for allowing the public to learn of the strategic change through the media. 'The fact that the state of defense of Israel is hearing about a change in our strategic relationship through the media, at the same time as the Israeli public, shows how dangerous Benjamin Netanyahu's behavior is,' Eisenkot said in a statement.

Yair Golan, another opposition leader, warned that ending the aid would deliver a 'severe blow to Israel's security' while the country fights on multiple fronts. He argued that the financial burden would fall entirely on the Israeli public. Netanyahu had not commented on the news as of Tuesday night in Israel, though he posted twice on social media about unrelated election interference claims.

Logistical hurdles remain. The current memorandum of understanding does not expire until 2028. A complete stop to aid by 2027 would require Congressional approval and would likely involve a gradual phase-out. The 2027 National Defense Authorization Act includes provisions to expand defense technology cooperation between the two nations, though the bill has not yet been passed. Critics like Representative Ro Khanna argue that deep integration could impact US sovereignty.