Trump says US will stop annual financial aid to Israel after 2026

The ties between the United States and Israel appear set for a major change. US President Donald Trump has announced that after 2026 ends, the United States will stop the financial aid it gives Israel every year. Trump cited an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the decision.

Trump made the remark in an interview given during the midterm election campaign. He said Israel no longer needs this financial aid. He also made clear that the United States would help if the need ever arose in future. Objections have been raised in the United States earlier too to the financial and military aid given to Israel.

According to Trump, the United States gives Israel about $4 billion in aid every year. He claimed that agreement with Netanyahu on ending the aid had been reached a few months ago. Trump said both countries have approved the decision. He said Israel has now become a strong and successful country economically, so it need not depend on American aid. For this reason, the decision was taken to stop the aid after the end of the year, Trump said.

Confusion remains over military aid. Military grants and money set aside for missile defence form an important part of the aid Israel receives from the United States. Under a memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in 2016, $38 billion in aid is to be provided between 2019 and 2028, which means roughly $3.8 billion a year. Trump has announced the end of the aid, but there is as yet no clarity on how the existing agreement will be changed. The sale of arms from the United States to Israel is likely to continue.

The question of financial aid to Israel is also being discussed in American domestic politics. Since the Gaza war in particular, some political groups in the United States have been criticising the aid. Against this background, Trump's announcement is being seen as significant.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's office has so far given no official response on the alleged agreement. All eyes are now on what form Trump's announcement will actually take when implemented and how much it will affect US-Israel ties.