Netanyahu May Have Paid $7.5 Billion for Trump's Political Support

An agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end American military aid to Israel has sparked questions about the nature of their understanding. An analysis published by the Israeli newspaper "TheMarker" suggests Netanyahu may have made financial and political concessions to Trump in exchange for guaranteed support.

Meirav Arlosoroff, an economic analyst for TheMarker, questioned in an article whether Netanyahu paid the equivalent of $7.5 billion, or about 23.5 billion shekels, to secure Trump's backing. She noted that Trump's statements about Netanyahu's agreement to an immediate cessation of aid raise suspicions of a political quid pro quo.

Arlosoroff pointed out that U.S. military aid is based on a memorandum of understanding extending until 2028, with the remaining aid for the next two years estimated at $6.6 to $7.6 billion. She believes Trump's announcement of the agreement's termination during the U.S. midterm election period reinforced the impression that the understanding with Netanyahu could have been a political price paid to ensure continued American presidential support.

This debate follows Trump's declaration that U.S. aid to Israel would cease by the end of 2026, despite the existing security memorandum of understanding between the two countries extending until 2028, which includes annual military aid of $3.8 billion. Netanyahu had previously spoken of a desire to gradually reduce Israel's reliance on U.S. aid in the coming years. Trump stated that Netanyahu agreed to end the support, asserting that Israel is now capable of funding its own military needs.

The article did not present evidence of a direct financial deal between Netanyahu and Trump but rather raised questions about potential political motivations behind Netanyahu's agreement to end aid before the expiration of the signed agreement between the countries.