FDD
An Abrupt End to U.S. Military Financing to Israel Would Hurt Both Allies
Justin Leopold-Cohen and Samuel Ben-Ur
November 5, 2026
President Donald Trump has promised to end U.S. military aid to Israel by year’s end, even as the two allies deliberate on whether to resume attacks on Iran. On November 3, the president asked why Republicans should “suffer the slings” from critics of Israel when Jerusalem “no longer need[s]” the money it receives from America. Trump then said aid would be cut off by the end of 2026. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu articulated a version of this idea in January, stating, “I want to taper off the military aid within the next 10 years.” This was a reference to the current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding (MOU) that provides Israel military assistance. Gradually phasing out aid became the premise for negotiating a new agreement in June. Ending U.S. military assistance before Israel can recalibrate would leave Israel’s military vulnerable, hurting Washington as well…The current MOU committed $38 billion for fiscal years (FYs) 2019-2028, including $500 million annually for joint missile and rocket defense programs. Of that annual $3.8 billion, $3.3 billion consists of Foreign Military Financing (FMF), the majority of which goes to American defense procurements, supporting the U.S. economy. READ MORE
JTA Trump says US aid to Israel will stop at the end of the year President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning said that the United States would halt billions of dollars in annual aid to Israel by the end of 2026, potentially ending decades of military funding for one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East. “We were giving them $4 billion. We are. But it gets cut off at the end of the year,” Trump declared during a call-in appearance on the “Fox & Friends” morning program on Fox News. Israel’s 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States, which currently gives Israel $3.8 billion annually, runs through 2028, so it’s unclear how easy it would be for the White House to stop the funding this year and whether Trump is truly committed to changing the arrangement.