US President Donald Trump has announced plans to end Washington’s annual military assistance to Israel, worth $3.8bn, saying the decision was agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several months ago.
Speaking to Fox News by telephone on Tuesday, 3 November, Trump said the US provided Israel with about $4bn in aid each year but had agreed to bring the payments to an end.
“We give Israel $4bn a year, and a few months ago we agreed to stop that aid,” he said.
Trump suggested that Israel was now in a position to purchase its own military equipment without relying on US financial assistance.
However, he indicated that ending the financial support would not necessarily mean an end to military cooperation between the two countries, adding that Washington would continue to support Israel if necessary.
Under a 10-year agreement signed in 2016, the US committed to providing Israel with $3.8bn in annual military assistance. The agreement is due to run until 2028.
It remains unclear how the Trump administration intends to end the arrangement before its expiry or whether congressional approval would be required
