Trump said U.S. security assistance to Israel will end after 2026, while arms sales continue.
Why it matters: The statement could affect Israel's defense planning, the U.S.-Israel security relationship and congressional debates over foreign assistance. It does not by itself change appropriated funding or the bilateral assistance framework.
- Trump made the remarks during a November 3, 2026, telephone interview with Fox News's Fox & Friends.
- The current framework provides approximately $3.8 billion annually through fiscal year 2028.
- That total includes $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for joint missile-defense programs.
- Trump said Israel could purchase weapons itself, while U.S. military equipment sales would continue.
President Donald Trump said the United States will stop providing roughly $4 billion in annual security assistance to Israel after 2026, while continuing to sell military equipment to the country, according to The Associated Press.
Trump made the remarks during a November 3, 2026, telephone interview with Fox News's Fox & Friends. He said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had discussed ending the assistance.
"They don't need it," Trump said, citing Israel's economic strength and arguing that it could purchase weapons itself. He also said, "Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we're stopping."
Trump's $4 billion figure is rounded. The existing security-assistance framework provides approximately $3.8 billion annually through fiscal year 2028, including $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for joint missile-defense programs, according to a Congressional Research Service report. The $500 million missile-defense allocation is part of that total. Arms sales are purchases by Israel, not aid.
The framework comes from a 2016 memorandum of understanding committing the United States to provide Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over fiscal years 2019 through 2028. The MOU is a bilateral commitment, while annual funding remains subject to congressional authorization and appropriations, according to the State Department. Trump's statement alone does not amend the MOU or cancel funds already appropriated.
Trump said "after 2026," but the available account does not clarify whether he meant the end of calendar year 2026 or fiscal year 2026, which ends September 30. As of November 3, 2026, the materials reviewed for this article include no formal White House or State Department directive, congressional action or public confirmation from Netanyahu's office.
By the numbers
- $3.8 billion - Approximate annual U.S. security assistance under the current framework
- $500 million - Annual joint missile-defense allocation included in that $3.8 billion total
- $38 billion - Military assistance covered by the 2016 MOU over fiscal years 2019 through 2028
Yes, but: The remarks do not establish a legal or operational cutoff. Changing future assistance would involve the administration and Congress, and Trump's wording leaves the timing and scope unclear.
What's next: Key indicators include a White House or State Department directive, congressional action on future appropriations, and a public statement from Israel or Netanyahu's office.