Trump said on Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with Netanyahu to end the year on $4 billion in annual U.S. aid to Israel. While Netanyahu had previously advocated for a gradual reduction in dependence on the U.S., this timeline is significantly shorter than his previous proposals and is not a one-time termination. In January, Netanyahu stated that U.S. aid to Israel would be phased out over the next 10 years.
Arman Mahmoudian, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and Foreign Affairs at the University of South Florida, said that if Gulf states believe Trump's claim that the U.S. and Israel reached an agreement to end U.S. military aid months ago, and that this move was initiated by Netanyahu, then Washington can still maintain its image as a reliable partner in the region.
However, he warned, "If Gulf states believe this decision was unilateral, made by Washington without coordination with Israel and ignoring the reality that Israel still needs U.S. aid, then the signal it sends to the entire region will be very different." He further stated, "The Middle East may view the sudden termination of aid to its most important strategic ally as a worrying signal and question Washington's long-term commitment to its regional partners."
