Trump says US to end $4 billion annual military aid to Israel this year — SkimNews
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- Trump said he and Netanyahu had agreed several months earlier to end annual U.S. military payments to Israel, which he put at $4 billion, by the end of 2026, while saying the United States would still assist Israel if needed.
- Trump said Israel no longer required the funding and that some Democrats and left-wing politicians had cited the assistance while criticizing Republicans.
- Netanyahu proposed in January to reduce Israel's dependence on U.S. military aid over the next decade, after discussing the plan during a December visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
- 2019-2028 memorandum of understanding, signed on September 14, 2016, commits the United States to $38 billion in military assistance, structured as $3.3 billion a year plus $500 million annually for missile defenses including Iron Dome, Arrow and David's Sling.
- Israel must spend a progressively larger proportion of the assistance in the United States; the grants largely finance weapons and ammunition purchases, and the underlying $38 billion memorandum remains in force through 2028.
Why it matters: For Israel, the immediate change is concrete: Trump says the $4 billion annual flow will stop by the end of 2026, while Washington also says it would assist Israel if help is needed. The $38 billion memorandum formally remains in force through 2028, leaving the source unexplained two-year gap.
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