President Trump said Tuesday that the United States will end nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel after 2026 and shift toward arms sales.
The big picture: Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed months ago to end annual military grants because Israel had become successful enough to buy US weapons. The announcement would reshape one of Washington's longest-running security relationships.
- Israel received about $3.8 billion in 2025 through Foreign Military Financing grants for US hardware, including F-35 fighter jets, plus $500 million for joint missile-defense programs.
- Netanyahu had previously discussed tapering the aid over the next decade. Trump's timetable would end it after 2026, years faster than that proposal.
What they're saying: Trump told Fox News, "We were giving them $4bn ... But it gets cut off at the end of the year." He said Israel could continue buying American weapons.
Between the lines: The announcement landed on Election Day as US support for Israel became a sharper campaign issue. A September Quinnipiac poll found 48% of Americans believed Washington was too supportive of Israel.
What's next: Congress will shape how quickly the grants can wind down and what replaces them. The shift could preserve defense sales while moving more of the cost onto Israel's budget and changing the flow of money to US weapons makers.
Why it matters: The aid package ties US strategy, Israeli security and American defense manufacturing together. Replacing grants with purchases changes who pays, while leaving the alliance and the weapons pipeline largely intact.
