Trump announces end to US aid to Israel by 2027, but can he actually do it? - analysis

US President Donald Trump announced that all US aid to Israel would end at the end of this year, but is that even practical or even possible?

i24NEWS' Senior US Correspondent Mike Wagenheim said the situation was "complex, and that’s an understatement."

As it stands, Congress has already approved funding through September 2027, so it seems unlikely that budgets will be changed after they have been approved.

Trump has previously avoided spending money allocated by Congress, although this comes with complications. "Not all of it is considered legal," Wagenheim told us. "Regardless, he could probably get away with it."

But there's another glaring issue with Trump's statement, it’s unclear whether he means aid would be cut off on Dec. 31, or no new aid would be approved after Dec. 31.

Adding to this issue, there are a number of weapons purchases already in the pipeline, which can take years to be produced and delivered and it's unclear whether the funding cutoff will affect them too.

A quick resolution seems unlikely as Congress has yet to weigh in on any of this, "the Congress of today won’t be the Congress of January," which means it could take a long time to get clarity on all of this.

Trump also claimed that the move was initiated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although this remains unconfirmed.

Netanyahu has previously expressed support for winding down US aid in favor of expanding mutual cooperation in security, technology, and procurement, although estimates then were set for the end of the decade.

Yashar party leader and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkottook to X, saying, "Israel's special relationship with the United States is a key component in its national security."

He said that the fact that Israel's defense establishment was learning about this possible change through the media rather than through a briefing was a damning indictment of "how much Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct poses a genuine danger."

Eisenkot insisted that Netanyahu provide clarification that night.

Democrats party leader and retired Maj. Gen. Yair Golan also took to X to criticize the move, calling it "a severe blow to Israel's security and to the quality of life, because the burden of funding security will fall solely on the Israeli public."

"A responsible prime minister would fight to increase American aid, not dismantle it," he continued. "Netanyahu is deepening the security and economic crisis and endangering Israel's future."