Netanyahu’s Office: Israel has used US aid both to defend itself and to confront enemies threatening the US and the West

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has explained US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington would end its annual financial assistance to Israel, amounting to $4 billion, as a transition from aid to partnership.

“The transition from aid to partnership, initiated by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, demonstrates the strength and sophistication of our bilateral relationship, as well as its ability to adapt and remain robust over time,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement posted on X.

Netanyahu’s office noted that “US assistance to Israel has always been the result of a bipartisan agreement between Republicans and Democrats.” “Israel has used this assistance both to defend itself and to counter enemies threatening America and the West,” the statement said. The office added that “Israel now has a strong and stable economy.”

On November 3, during an interview on Fox News Trump announced that the United States would end its annual financial assistance to Israel, worth approximately $4 billion, by the end of this year. According to Trump, the decision had been agreed upon with Netanyahu several months earlier. The US president did not specify which area of assistance was involved. However, he said that the initiative to end the funding had come from the Israeli prime minister and that Israel had agreed to the decision.