Trump Says US to End $4 Billion Aid to Israel as Country Shifts to Direct Military Purchases
Washington plans to replace financial assistance with direct arms sales as Netanyahu and Trump discuss a shift in military cooperation.
WASHINGTON, Nov 3: US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington will discontinue its annual USD 4 billion aid to Israel from 2027, signalling a shift towards direct military sales to its close Middle Eastern ally.
Speaking to Fox News Channel during a telephone interview on Tuesday, Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed the arrangement, which the two leaders had been discussing for the past couple of years.
Trump maintained that Israel no longer required financial assistance from the United States, describing the annual expenditure as a substantial amount for Washington.
The US president also noted that American aid to Israel had increasingly become a political issue for Democratic candidates, including Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed.
“You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash,” Trump said, explaining that the existing arrangement involved providing Israel with around USD 4 billion in financial and military assistance annually.
He added that Netanyahu had approached him about changing the arrangement, emphasising that the issue had been under discussion for several years.
The proposed shift would move the relationship away from annual assistance towards a system in which Israel purchases military equipment directly from the United States.
