U.S. will stop $4B in aid to Israel at the end of the year, Trump says

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has made a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the United States to stop sending $4 billion in aid annually to Israel, without providing details.

Oil prices slid in response to Trump’s comments.

“Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping,” he said in a phone interview with “Fox and Friends,” saying that the money would get “cut off at the end of the year.”

Trump made the comments while voters were heading to the polls for the midterm elections. During the campaign, U.S. aid to Israel, and Israel’s war in Gaza, have become one of the most contentious issues.

On stopping aid, Trump said Israel was “fine with it because, you know, they have become a very successful country,” adding that “they don’t need it.”

“Now we’ll help Israel if they need it. You know they’ve been a great ally,” he said, adding that the idea to halt the aid had come from Netanyahu himself.

“Can I be honest with you? He brought it up,” Trump added. “He said: ‘I think it…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world