US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will end its annual military financial aid to Israel at the end of this year, revealing that the decision had been agreed upon months earlier with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump argued that Israel no longer needs Washington’s ongoing financial support. According to him, the continuation of this aid has also become a matter of debate in American domestic politics. “Regarding the payments to Israel, Netanyahu and I agreed to give Israel $4 billion a year, and now we are stopping. That agreement was made months ago,” the U.S. president said.
Trump clarified that the suspension of payments will begin at the end of this year, but stressed that this does not mean Washington will fully withdraw its support for its ally in the Middle East. “We have already agreed that, starting at the end of this year, we will no longer make payments to Israel. Of course, we will help Israel if the need arises,” he said.
The White House chief also criticized some Democrats and left-wing representatives who, he said, are using American aid to Israel as an argument in their political clashes with Republicans.