Trump aid bombshell could set off scramble to reprioritize upcoming arms buys
The Times of Israel · Emanuel Fabian ·
After US president announces earlier-than-expected cutoff of annual $3.8 billion, Israel must now assess which weapons are worth tax hikes or budget cuts and what it can afford to wait on or live without
After US president announces earlier-than-expected cutoff of annual $3.8 billion, Israel must now assess which weapons are worth tax hikes or budget cuts and what it can afford to wait on or live without
US President Donald Trump’s almost literal bombshell announcement on Tuesday that the United States would cease providing nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of this year, rather than nearly two years from now, sent shockwaves through the Israeli defense establishment and the country’s treasury.
Officials in the Finance Ministry, Defense Ministry, and Israel Defense Forces were caught off guard by the announcement and left nonplussed, given that the 10-year memorandum of understanding on US military assistance to Israel, which gives the Jewish state $3.8 billion annually, doesn’t expire until the end of September 2028.
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