US President Donald Trump made the announcement in a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday morning, as voting began in the US midterm elections. He said Israel does not need the money. According to the BBC, Trump said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a deal "months ago" to stop the payments. "Now we'll help Israel if they need it," he said.
It is not clear which funds Trump meant. The BBC noted that a memorandum of understanding giving Israel $3.8 billion a year in military assistance runs until the end of 2028. According to The Guardian, most of the roughly $3.8 billion Israel received in 2025 came as foreign military financing grants. These grants let it buy US hardware, including F-35 fighter jets. Another $500 million went to joint missile defence programmes. Trump said Israel can buy weapons from the US if needed. The BBC said it had asked the White House to clarify. Netanyahu's office has not commented.
Trump accused Democrats of using US aid to Israel as a "talking point" against Republicans. The Guardian reported that he named Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Senate against Republican Mike Rogers. The paper said the announcement appeared timed to sway voters who are sceptical of US support for Israel and the war in Gaza. Trump also said Netanyahu had approached him and that they had discussed the issue "for a couple of years".
Israeli officials appeared to be taken by surprise, The Guardian reported. Gadi Eisenkot wants to replace Netanyahu as prime minister. He said that Israelis learning about the change through the media showed that Netanyahu's conduct poses a danger. Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, said a responsible prime minister would have fought to increase US aid. Netanyahu's party lost its majority in the Knesset in last week's elections. The opposition is now trying to form a coalition to replace him.
In a May interview with CBS, Netanyahu said he wanted to bring US financial support down "to zero" over the next decade. Trump's timeline would move much faster. Israel has been the largest recipient of US foreign assistance since the Second World War. A Congressional report published last year put the total at $174 billion, not adjusted for inflation.
Support for Israel in the US has been softening, especially among Democrats. In July, Republican Thomas Massie forced a vote to cut $3.3 billion in security aid to Israel. It failed by 314 votes to 104, with 103 Democrats backing it. A Quinnipiac University poll in September found that 48% of voters think the US is too supportive of Israel, up from 16% in 2017.