President Donald Trump announced that the United States will end its roughly $4 billion in annual aid to Israel by the end of the year.
What happened
Trump stated that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made a deal to stop the aid, citing Israel's wealth and success as reasons it no longer needs the funding. Netanyahu had previously expressed a desire to end US funding for Israel, stating that he wants to wean the country off the remaining military support.
The US military aid to Israel is not an act of charity, but rather a funding mechanism for domestic arms manufacturers. The arrangement requires Israel to spend the aid dollars directly with American defense companies, which can undercut Israel's own defense industry and limit its independence in defense supply.
Netanyahu has expressed concerns that this lack of independence could leave Israel vulnerable to partisan politics in the US, particularly given the rise of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment.
