Jakarta, ThedailyID — US President Donald Trump has announced plans to end the United States’ annual US$3.8 billion military aid package to Israel. He made the announcement on Tuesday, November 3, coinciding with the US midterm elections.
The decision comes amid ongoing controversy over Washington’s extensive support for Israel, particularly during Trump’s administration.
“We give Israel US$4 billion a year, and a few months ago, we made a deal that we would stop it,” Trump said in a telephone interview with Fox News.
Under the existing agreement, Israel receives approximately US$3.8 billion annually in financial assistance to purchase weapons. Trump also claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “no objection” to ending the aid.
“Now, we will help Israel if they need it,” Trump said. “Israel is a very prosperous country. They don’t need it.”
However, the announcement’s implementation timeline remains unclear.
Israel has received more than US$300 billion in US economic and military assistance since its establishment in 1948, adjusted for inflation, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. This amount exceeds the assistance received by any other country over the same period.
Netanyahu previously expressed his intention to reduce Israel’s dependence on US assistance. In May, he told US broadcaster CBS that he wanted to bring American support down to zero.
The announcement drew criticism from Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. He argued that the development demonstrated the need for Netanyahu to step down.
“The fact that Israel’s defense establishment learned about the change in our strategic relationship through the media, alongside the Israeli public, shows how dangerous Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions are,” Eisenkot said in a statement.
“He can no longer be trusted and must be replaced,” he added.
It remains unclear when the United States will officially end its financial assistance to Israel.
