In a telephone interview on Fox News on the morning of 3rd November, President Donald Trump revealed that a deal had been struck with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease the annual provision of US$3.8 billion in military assistance after 2026.  “We already agreed that by the end of this year, we won’t be paying Israel,” he said.  “Now we’ll help Israel if they need it.”  This was a deal that had been reached “months ago”.

The current funding arrangements arose out of a pledge from the Obama administration to supply military assistance to Israel over the period from 2019 to 2028 for a decade, amounting to US$38 billion.  Each year, Washington would supply $US3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and US$500 million in missile defence funding.  The memorandum replaced the previous MOU signed in 2007 that expired in 2018, worth US$30 billion.

Since its creation, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of US economic and military assistance, receiving US$300 billion in inflation adjusted terms between 1948 and 2024.

Since its creation, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of US economic and military assistance, receiving US$300 billion in inflation adjusted terms between 1948 and 2024.

In a September 2016 fact sheet released by the White House Office of the Press Secretary, the MOU was described as permitting “Israel to update the lion’s share of its fighter aircraft fleet – including through the acquisition of additional F-35s – increase its missile defence, and acquire other defence capabilities needed to meet its threat environment.”  But these new arrangements were also intended to eliminate two “anomalies” deemed problematic to US interests, the first being Off Shore Procurement, under which Israel was given the luxury of using up to 26.3 percent of its annual FMF package on non-US products, and Israel’s use of FMF funds to acquire fuel.  The press release, in satisfied tones, noted that Israel would be able to “spend more funding, as much as $1.2 billion per year, on advanced military capabilities that only the United States can provide.”  Arms manufacturers had every reason to rejoice.

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The Fox........

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