US military aid to Israel to continue until 2033 despite Trump's announcement

Direct US support for Israel is expected to be limited by reducing the duration of the new agreement to five years, after which the aid programme will be phased out. This would mean that American military assistance would continue to flow to Israel until 2033. At the same time, the US is expected to increase funding for cooperation with Israel on the development of air and missile defence systems, from the current $500 million annually to an amount yet to be determined, according to Ynet.

Israel wants to finalise the new agreement before the newly elected, Democrat-dominated Congress convenes in January. The bilateral memorandum of understanding does not require ratification, but Congress must approve funding for assistance each year. Last week, the US president unexpectedly announced that military aid to Israel would end at the close of this year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed ending the assistance, arguing that his country no longer needed such support.

A senior Israeli official told Ynet that Trump’s remarks, announcing the end of financial assistance to Israel on the day of the US congressional elections, were intended to strengthen Republican politician Mike Rogers, who was competing for a Michigan Senate seat against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a fierce critic of Israel. Nevertheless, El-Sayed defeated Rogers and became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

Under the current military financing programme for 2018–2028, Israel receives $3.3 billion annually, amounting to $33 billion over ten years. The new agreement would maintain assistance at a similar level for just five years, totalling approximately $16.5 billion.