Trump’s pledge to end $3.8 billion in annual aid to Israel takes center stage
Key Facts
Donald Trump’s announcement that he would end U.S. military aid to Israel has sparked debate over the fate of $3.8 billion in annual funding under the current memorandum of understanding. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “very concerned” about the aid and that Trump’s announcement came “like a bolt from the blue,” noting that the memorandum provides for it to continue through 2028. Trump said Israel no longer needed the support and also linked his announcement to U.S. political criticism of the aid. The remarks concern an end to aid, while the Associated Press reported that arms sales to Israel would continue. Trump did not explain how an early end to the funding would be implemented before the memorandum expires.
The memorandum provides for $3.8 billion in annual aid, of which $3.3 billion is allocated to foreign military financing for the purchase of U.S. weapons, while $500 million is earmarked for missile-defense cooperation, according to Chosun Biz. That breakdown puts the link between funding and defense purchases at the heart of the announcement’s potential impact. The Associated Press said a large share of foreign military financing requires Israel to buy weapons produced in the United States. U.S. defense companies could be affected if Israel does not replace those purchases with comparable spending, the report said. The continuation of arms sales is distinct from an end to annual aid, but the source did not specify the terms or future value of those sales.
Trump said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed ending the aid first, and that they had been discussing the idea for “about two years,” according to the Associated Press. In January, Netanyahu said he wanted to gradually reduce U.S. military aid over the following 10 years and strengthen Israel’s arms industry, according to Chosun Biz. The Associated Press also reported that Netanyahu told The Economist magazine in January that he wanted to phase it down over the next 10 years. That places the debate over reducing aid within a gradual path Netanyahu had previously proposed, while Trump’s remarks focus on ending the funding. Netanyahu had not publicly commented on Trump’s latest remarks, according to Chosun Biz.
The current memorandum of understanding dates to an agreement signed by U.S. and Israeli government representatives on September 14, 2016, covering fiscal years 2019 to 2028. Under it, the United States pledged to provide $38 billion over 10 years, subject to appropriations approved by Congress, according to the Congressional Research Service. The annual amount in Chosun Biz’s breakdown comes to $3.8 billion over the memorandum’s term. The Associated Press said the current agreement does not expire before 2028 and that any change would be extremely difficult, with a gradual end to aid potentially the likeliest path if Congress agrees. It also noted that previous purchases could continue to arrive for years after aid ends, because manufacturing and delivery take years.
Annual appropriations remain a key factor in determining whether funding is disbursed and how it is allocated. The Associated Press said Congress would play a major role in any change and that the current agreement does not expire before 2028. Distributing and releasing the funds requires the Senate and House to pass appropriations bills each year, according to Reuters. The Congressional Research Service explains that memorandums of understanding are not legally binding treaties and do not require Senate ratification, and that Congress can accept or modify annual aid levels and provide additional appropriations. The implementation of an early end to aid therefore remains contingent on the appropriations process and legislative decisions, as well as on the administration’s decisions about the assistance.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he was seeking “to clarify how aid will be handled in the future,” signaling that arrangements for the next phase have yet to be made clear. Netanyahu has not publicly commented on Trump’s latest remarks, according to Chosun Biz. Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoted Gadi Eisenkot as saying that Israel’s defense establishment learning of a shift in the strategic relationship through the media showed the danger of Netanyahu’s conduct. Yair Golan warned that ending the aid would deal a severe blow to Israel’s security, adding that the Israeli public would bear the burden of financing defense needs at this stage. Herzog’s remarks and those of the officials cited remain specific positions, while the report did not establish that Israel’s leadership had issued a collective public response.