Trump Ends Annual Military Aid to Israel
President Donald Trump says the U.S. will stop providing annual military aid payments to Israel, which he argues is now economically strong enough to buy its own weapons.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Military
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Should the U.S. keep giving billions in annual military aid to Israel?
President Donald Trump announced in a Fox News phone interview that the U.S. will stop annual military aid payments to Israel, saying he and Benjamin Netanyahu reached an agreement on the cutoff months earlier. Trump said the U.S. would still help Israel in security emergencies and did not say the U.S. is ending arms sales.
Why it matters
The cutoff would end a long-standing annual funding commitment from Congress-approved military aid to Israel. Public opinion is divided, with a June Quinnipiac poll finding 48% of Americans believe the U.S. gives Israel too much support.
The current 2016 agreement provides $38 billion over 2019 to 2028, including $3.3 billion for military equipment and $500 million for joint missile defense programs. Congress approves the annual funding, and the schedule for ending the payments beyond the end of 2026 has not been detailed.
The players
Donald Trump
The President of the United States, who announced the end of annual military aid to Israel in a Fox News interview.
Benjamin Netanyahu
The Prime Minister of Israel, with whom Trump said he reached an agreement on ending the aid months earlier.
The details
Trump made the announcement in a Fox & Friends phone interview, saying Israel is economically powerful and can purchase the weapons it needs itself. The aid cutoff is expected to take effect by the end of 2026, though the agreement's terms run through 2028.
Timeline
2016: Current U.S.-Israel military aid agreement signed
June 2026: Quinnipiac poll finds 48% of Americans say Israel gets too much support
November 3, 2026: Trump announces the aid cutoff as midterm primaries begin
End of 2026: Planned completion of the aid payments cutoff
Political Context
Critics and supporters of continued aid have long debated the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding, which set $38 billion over ten years. Trump's announcement departs from that framework by ending annual payments before the agreement's 2028 expiration.
The cutoff would change how U.S. taxpayer dollars are allocated to Israel's defense starting in 2026. Israel would still receive U.S. help in security emergencies, according to Trump.
The takeaway
The announcement signals a shift in how U.S. military aid to Israel is structured, with the policy's full effect still dependent on how the cutoff is implemented before the agreement's 2028 end date.
What happens next
The aid cutoff is expected to take effect by the end of 2026, and the current agreement runs through 2028.
Further reading
Explore more on the Military section for context on U.S. defense policy and foreign military aid.
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Should the U.S. keep giving billions in annual military aid to Israel?
