Trump Says U.S. Aid to Israel Will End by Year’s Close
U.S. aid to Israel will end by the close of the year, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.
Trump made the announcement on Fox & Friends during an Election Day morning appearance. Trump explained that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been discussing an end to the assistance for years, an idea Netanyahu had proposed.
A spokesman for Netanyahu said he did not know anything about Trump’s comment but would check for details.
An agreement gives Israel about $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid each year until 2028. Netanyahu has said before that he wants to reduce Israel’s dependence on that aid, but no schedule or conditions have been laid out.
Trump said Israel can still buy whatever weapons they want from the U.S. He also told NBC News he had no plans to strike Iran after the midterms.
U.S. support for Israel and the country’s war in Gaza rank among the hottest topics ahead of the midterm elections.
Verified Facts
- President Donald Trump said U.S. aid to Israel would end by the close of the year. (Fox News, New York Post, NBC News)
- Trump made the announcement Tuesday morning on Fox & Friends during an Election Day morning appearance. (Fox News)
- Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had discussed ending the assistance for years and that Netanyahu raised the idea. (Fox News)
- The current U.S.-Israel security assistance agreement provides about $3.8 billion annually through 2028. (Fox News)
- Netanyahu has previously said he wants to phase out Israel’s reliance on U.S. military aid though the timing and terms of any change have not been detailed. (Fox News)
- Trump did not clarify whether the end of the year means the deal will end early. (New York Post)
- A spokesman for Netanyahu said he didn’t know anything about Trump’s comment but would check for details. (NBC News)
- A memorandum of understanding provides $3.8 billion annual U.S. military aid to Israel approaching its expiration date in 2028. (NBC News)
- Trump told NBC News that he was not planning to attack Iran after the midterms. (NBC News)
- Trump touted new US Patriot and Tomahawk factories during the Tuesday interview. (New York Post)
- Trump said Israel can still buy whatever weapons they want from the U.S. (New York Post)
