Trump admin aims to maintain Israel aid in coming years, despite US president’s claim otherwise
Democrats may seek to restrict aid, which White House wants to wind down anyway, but officials tell ToI that’s not happening immediately, as US president suggested
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to continue providing security assistance to Israel in the coming years, despite Trump’s claim on the day of the midterm elections that Washington would cease providing such aid at the end of 2026, three US and Israeli officials told The Times of Israel.
The US and Israel have been in negotiations over recent months about a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security assistance to Israel that would see the aid wound down from its current annual rate of nearly $4 billion per year, an Israeli official said.
Proposals considered have included the complete phasing out of aid within five to ten years, according to the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to discuss the matter.
No agreement on the new MoU has been reached, and the official acknowledged that Trump’s November 3 comments have impacted the negotiations, catching both sides off guard and leading Washington to push for a faster wind-down of the US aid to Israel.
In an interview on the morning of the midterms, Trump declared that the US would cease aid to Israel by the end of the year, noting that Israel had been the one to push the idea.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had indeed publicly spoken about ending such aid, but said it would be done in a gradual manner over ten years — not immediately.
Both sides have framed the move as one made possible thanks to the economic strength of Israel, but the shift also comes as favor for Jerusalem has nosedived in both parties, with some Republicans faulting Netanyahu for pushing Trump to launch the war against Iran in February and Democrats bitterly criticizing Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Netanyahu has blamed rising antisemitism as well as social trends in the US unrelated to Israel for the plummeting support.
Regardless, both sides acknowledged that a 10-year, $38 billion MoU, similar to the one Israel signed with the United States during Barack Obama’s presidency, would not be replicated, the Israeli official said.
That deal is set to expire in 2028, but Trump’s declaration led to questions as to whether it would be honored.
A US official indicated that it would, pointing to contracts that Israel has signed with American defense firms that envision the production of weapons in the coming years using funds promised in the MoU.
Pulling out of those contracts would come with major costs that would be incurred by the American taxpayer, the US official said, acknowledging that Washington is seeking to avoid such scenarios.
Accordingly, the plan is to adhere to the terms of the Obama-era MoU as much as possible, the US and Israeli officials said.
However, the administration is not the only US party with a say in the matter.
US Congress controls the appropriation of military aid and is not bound by the MoU.
After Democrats took control of Congress, the party’s presumed candidate for House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries reiterated his call for “dramatic change with respect to the memorandum of understanding as it winds down.”
This stance will likely affect the final two years of the MoU, as Democrats calling for its immediate termination can now point to a Republican president who also supports the idea.
However, the Israeli official downplayed the chances of an immediate end to US aid, noting that the Democratic leadership is more moderate than the progressive wing. The official also noted that the Democratic Party’s new majority is so strong in both houses, thanks to the midterm results, that progressives will have a harder time holding the rest of the party hostage.
A Democratic congressional aide agreed that the party won’t back a complete end to US aid for Israel, but rather aim to restrict the sale of offensive weapons, while seeking to uphold conditions that bar US weapons from being used in cases that violate US or international humanitarian law.
The aide asserted that the party would take a harsher stance in adjudicating the matter than former US president Joe Biden’s administration, which avoided penalizing Israel over the use of American weapons in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Asked for comment on this story, the State Department sent a statement attributed to a US official, asserting that, “Israel is now a technologically advanced and wealthy ally with a modern industrial base that will soon no longer require US funding to defend itself.”
“The bilateral partnership between the US and Israel is transforming from one based on security assistance to a full partnership that will benefit American industry, warfighters and workers. That is only possible because of President Trump’s leadership,” the US official said. “The partnership will no longer be based on aid but instead will be a mutually beneficial partnership that will expand the US industrial base, expedite the delivery of next-generation technologies to the US warfighter and support American jobs.”
“Like other partners and allies, Israel will continue to buy American weapon systems using their own funds, supporting American jobs and our defense industrial base. All obligations to American defense firms will be met,” the US official added.
The Times of Israel Community.