The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement Friday responding to US President Donald Trump's announcement that American aid to Israel would end, three days after the interview in which he said it, and in English only.
The statement described a shift "from aid to partnership" between the two countries but offered no timeline for when the aid would stop and did not dispute Trump's claim that it would end by the close of the year.
"US military assistance to Israel has always been bipartisan," the PMO said. "Israel has used it both to defend itself and to confront enemies that threaten America and the West. Today, Israel has a strong and stable economy. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump's transition from aid to partnership illustrates the strength and sophistication of our relationship, and its ability to adapt and endure over time."
The statement came three days after Trump told Fox News that the US would halt aid payments to Israel. He said he had reached an agreement with Netanyahu months earlier on a $4 billion annual payment, but that Israel no longer needed the money because it had become a successful country. The aid, he said, would stop "by the end of the year." He added: "We'll help them if they need it. Israel is a very good ally, the best."
