Trump’s plan to end U.S. military aid to Israel faces about $10 billion in unfunded weapons orders, WSJ reports

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington intends to end U.S. military assistance to Israel. Reports differ on the timing and reasoning. Jerusalem Post, citing a Wall Street Journal report, said Trump intends to end the aid by the end of 2026, a move that reportedly surprised senior Israeli officials. Tradingview, summarizing the Journal, said Trump made the announcement after congressional elections that delivered major gains to Democrats. Both reports said Israeli officials were surprised, though Tradingview added that the two governments had previously discussed gradually reducing American assistance.

The current U.S.-Israel military aid agreement is a 10-year memorandum of understanding signed during the Obama administration and expires in 2028. Under it, Israel receives $3.3 billion annually in U.S. Foreign Military Financing, plus $500 million for missile defense cooperation. Jerusalem Post reported that Washington has already committed nearly $7 billion in military financing over the remaining two years of the arrangement.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel would need approximately $10 billion beyond existing U.S. military aid commitments to pay for American weapons it has already ordered. The Journal cited a State Department document sent to Congress. Jerusalem Post reported that the figure was disclosed in a State Department letter sent to the office of Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas. The estimate is based on orders outstanding as of April 1, and the reports say it remains unclear whether the figure has changed since then. Honest disclosure of an unfunded commitment is a matter of accountability (Proverbs 11:1).

Jerusalem Post reported that the gap could affect Israel’s acquisition of 25 additional F-35 jets under an agreement worth roughly $3 billion, signed in June 2024, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2028. Tradingview, citing the Journal, said Israel plans to purchase the 25 F-35s from Lockheed Martin, which is a U.S. company.

Tradingview reported that Israel could finance the purchases directly. The Journal’s reporting, as summarized there, said this would place additional pressure on a defense budget already equivalent to about 7% of Israel’s gross domestic product.