MignewsPolitics21:50

Trump's Aid Statement Surprises Israeli Finance Ministry and IDF

By Марина Фрейман

Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba

CommunityNeutral tone

Russian · 6 newsrooms covering

U.S. President Donald Trump's statement about ending military aid to Israel surprised Israel's Finance Ministry and the IDF. Neither body was aware of any such intention or agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The current aid package, worth $3.8 billion annually, is set to expire at the end of 2028. Israel is now assessing the consequences of a potential earlier cessation of aid.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

President Donald Trump's statement on ending U.S. military aid to Israel surprised Israeli officials.
The Israeli Finance Ministry and IDF were unaware of any intention to halt payments.
No prior agreement between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was known.
The current aid memorandum expires at the end of 2028.
Israel receives $3.8 billion annually under the current agreement.
Israel is assessing the consequences of a potential earlier aid cutoff.

A statement by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the cessation of American military aid to Israel has caught both the Israeli Ministry of Finance and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by surprise. According to the Ynet news outlet, neither the finance ministry nor the military was aware of the U.S. administration's intention to halt payments, nor did they have information about any prior agreement between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A senior Defense Ministry official told the Kan public broadcaster that the ministry did not anticipate such a statement, especially on that particular day. "We are in dialogue with the Americans, but we can say that this statement caught us off guard," the official stated. "We will examine the consequences of this decision, which has not yet been discussed with relevant specialists."

Israeli sources estimate that the U.S. president might have been referring to the expiration of the current military aid memorandum, which is set to conclude at the end of 2028. Under this existing agreement, Israel receives $3.8 billion annually from the U.S., with $3.3 billion allocated for arms purchases and $500 million for the development of missile defense systems.

The Israeli military leadership and specialists are currently assessing the potential ramifications of the U.S. president's remarks. Should the aid cessation occur before the scheduled end date, it could significantly impact long-term planning for arms procurement and the execution of future defense deals.