Israel aims to finalize phasing out of US military aid before new Congress takes office – report

Israel aims to quickly finalize the decrease of U.S. military aid in a framework that would see aid halved and end in five, rather than ten years, in an effort to reach an agreement before the new U.S. Congress takes office in January, Ynet News reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump had shocked Israeli officials by surprisingly announcing that U.S. military aid would cut off at the end of 2026, in an apparent attempt to shore up support for struggling Republican candidates ahead of the midterms.

Trump’s party nevertheless suffered a devastating loss. In an interview published Monday by CBS’ "60 Minutes," Trump said voters “didn't like the war. They didn't like the fact that gasoline went up... And there's a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel.”

.@POTUS on the midterms: "I think if I was on the ballot, it would've been a much different situation... But there's something beyond that. They didn't like the war. They didn't like the fact that gasoline went up... And there's a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel." https://t.co/8EvY7BnBAN

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 9, 2026

Vice President JD Vance had also blamed the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections on the Iran war, and said that voters want the United States to “change our relationship with Israel.”

In the wake of this loss, U.S. and Israeli officials are working on a new security memorandum of understanding in an effort to finalize it with the sitting congress, though the incoming congress could still stall military assistance in the coming years.

According to Ynet, the military aid package is not expected to end this year, as Trump said, but be cut roughly in half by limiting it to five years after 2028, rather than the planned 10 more years. After this, the current framework is scheduled to end and be replaced by new agreements focusing on projects like joint air and missile defense development.

A senior official told Ynet, “We are moving here from a model of aid to a model of partnership.”

Noting that some congress members are opposed to cutting the aid since it is mainly spent on orders for equipment from industries based in their states, the official explained, “it is important to remember that most of the security assistance remains in America and contributes to the American economy. Cutting it would also hurt American industries and require adjustments.”

Another official told Ynet that the defense establishment was stunned by Trump’s sudden announcement but estimated it was more of a campaign move rather than a new policy.

U.S. military aid to Israel has always been a cross-the-aisle agreement. Israel has used it both to defend itself and to confront enemies who threaten America and the West. Today, Israel has a strong and stable economy. The move by PM Netanyahu and President Trump from aid to partnership shows the strength and sophistication of our relationship, and its ability to adapt and stand strong over time. 🇮🇱🇺🇸

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 6, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to commented on Trump’s statement for almost a week. Then, his office stated that “U.S. military aid to Israel has always been a cross-the-aisle agreement. Israel has used it both to defend itself and to confront enemies who threaten America and the West.”

“Today, Israel has a strong and stable economy. The move by PM Netanyahu and President Trump from aid to partnership shows the strength and sophistication of our relationship, and its ability to adapt and stand strong over time.”

U.S. officials have hinted that the composition of the future Israeli government could have an impact on the willingness for cooperation among U.S. congressmen.

On Monday, Trump commented for the first time on Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot receiving the mandate for forming Israel's next government.

Trump on Israel: Eisenkot and Netanyahu are very similar in terms of their policy and their views. Eisenkot says he loves Trump. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot are strong on what I do. https://t.co/qYbg7Xxs1u

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 8, 2026

Trump said Netanyahu, whom he had publicly endorsed, and Eisenkot “are very similar in their policies and positions. He said very nice things about me, that he likes me. They both support what I'm doing. We'll see what happens.”

The current U.S.-Israel military aid agreement expires in 2028 and includes $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing for 10 years. The emerging agreement would continue this annual level for five more years, before direct military assistance ends.

Under the current model, another $500 million a year is allocated to joint missile-defense cooperation, which is expected to be ramped up in the future to advance joint projects like research, development and production of defense systems including Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow.