WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he made a deal with Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu that Washington would stop $4 billion in funding to Israel after the end of this year.
It was not immediately clear which funding Trump meant or how exactly the funding would be stopped at the end of the year, given that the memorandum of understanding that provides $3.8 billion in USmilitary aid to Israel each year does not expire until 2028. Conversations have been under way on how Washington’s assistance to Israel would evolve beyond that date.
Speaking to Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program, Trump said Israel no longer needed the funding and that some Democrats and left-wing politicians were using the USfinancial support to Israel as a talking point to criticize Republicans.
“Now, as far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” Trump said. “We’ve already agreed that by the end of this year we won’t be paying Israel. Now we’ll help Israel if they need it,” he said.
Neither the White House nor Netanyahu’s office responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.USpublic support for Israel has fallen since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats.
A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48% of voters and 66% of Democrats believe the US is too supportive of Israel, up from 16% and 20%, respectively, when the question was first asked in 2017.
