US-Israel security pact set to halve direct military aid post-2028 under evolving five-year framework: Report

New details reveal US military aid to Israel will not end immediately, but will instead be halved to a five-year package after 2028. Negotiators aim to finalise the memorandum of understanding before January, navigating domestic political hurdles and potential congressional appropriations challenges.

American military assistance to Israel will not terminate immediately under a forthcoming security memorandum of understanding, with new details uncovered by Ynetnews indicating that direct aid will instead be reduced by roughly half by restricting its duration to a five-year window following 2028 rather than the traditional decade-long span. These revelations surface approximately a week after US President Donald Trump unexpectedly stated that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to halt American military aid by the close of the year, leaving Israeli negotiating teams bewildered by the pronouncement, as reported by Ynetnews.

A senior Israeli official assessed that Trump's declaration was driven primarily by domestic political calculations to assist Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan against Democratic challenger Abdul El-Sayed, though the strategy ultimately proved unsuccessful as El-Sayed secured victory, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, according to Ynetnews. During a Fox News appearance on Election Day, Trump stated, "We were giving them $4 billion. We are, but it gets cut off at the end of the year." He additionally noted that Netanyahu had previously raised the concept of phasing out assistance on the grounds that Israel had evolved into a prosperous nation no longer requiring such backing.

Nevertheless, the evolving framework does not contemplate an immediate stoppage, with current assistance remaining fully active through 2028 under the prevailing model that grants USD 3.3 billion yearly in Foreign Military Financing alongside USD 500 million for joint defence research, Ynetnews noted. Under the revised terms under discussion by teams representing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israel's Defence Ministry, annual funding levels would remain comparable for a shortened five-year period totalling roughly USD 16.5 billion before direct military provisions cease.

Meanwhile, American allocations dedicated to collaborative air and missile defence advancement are anticipated to climb from the present USD 500 million annually to an amount yet to be finalised. Furthermore, a senior Israeli official familiar with the diplomatic exchanges observed that numerous members of Congress resist lowering assistance due to domestic economic factors, given that the vast majority of funds flow directly back into American manufacturing plants and local state economies, as detailed by Ynetnews.

"We are moving here from a model of aid to a model of partnership," the senior Israeli official stated, adding, "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." While negotiators aim to conclude the pact prior to the new Congress convening in January, Israeli planners remain wary regarding annual congressional appropriation hurdles and potential political friction.

Officials have acknowledged that future government compositions and leadership figures will heavily influence legislative backing in Washington, Ynetnews reported. (ANI)