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Archive photo · 2 September 2013Isaac Herzog Calls Trump’s Plan To End US Aid To Israel “Bolt From The Blue”
12 Other3 West Asian3 Western Mainstream2 Other source typesPhoto: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for layout
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Trump pledged ending $4 billion in annual US military aid to Israel by year-end 2026. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called it 'like a bolt from the blue' and expressed worry.
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Aid Ends, Shocked Israel
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said it was “like a bolt from the blue” when President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States would end US aid to Israel. Trump said aid to Israel would end this year, two years ahead of the formal end of the memorandum of understanding, which provides Israel with $3.8 billion per year to purchase American weaponry.
Herzog brought up the issue during a meeting with the Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, the main rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mike Huckabee said he was looking for clarification on what would happen, and he defended military aid by saying, “Americans need to know the value of the relationship.”
Funding Gap After 2028
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel will need approximately $10 billion beyond existing US military aid commitments to pay for American weapons already ordered, according to a State Department document sent to Congress. The report said the figure is based on orders outstanding as of April 1, and it described the funding as required after the current US-Israel military aid agreement expires in 2028.
Joaquin Castro told the WSJ that “Even if the MOU ran its full course to 2028, there’s still $10 billion above and beyond that, and there’s an issue of who’s going to pay for that,” while the letter said outstanding commitments could be financed through future US military assistance, Israeli national funds, or a combination of the two. The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel ordered billions of dollars in American military equipment beyond what Washington has committed to finance, leaving an estimated $10 billion funding gap after 2028.
Congress, Gulf Confidence
Arman Mahmoudian told The Jerusalem Post that if Gulf states believe Trump’s claim that an agreement to end American military aid had been made months ago, Washington could preserve its image of being a reliable partner.
Mahmoudian warned that “if the decision is made unilaterally by Washington, without coordination with Israel or despite Israel’s continued need for American assistance, it would send a very different message to the region.”
The Jerusalem Post also reported that former NSC head Dr. Avner Golov warned Trump’s plan to end US aid to Israel by the end of 2026 risks signaling a retreat from America’s long-standing commitment to supporting Israel’s national security.
Golov said, “The greatest danger is that this move might be interpreted as a retreat from the American commitment to Israel’s security,” as he urged both nations to deepen technological alliances rather than roll back cooperation.