Israeli defense officials were taken aback by US President Donald Trump’s abrupt suspension of military assistance, and they remain uncertain about the immediate implications for budget allocations and weapons procurement, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Several officials have attempted to minimize concerns over national security by pointing out that ending US military aid and shifting to a partnership model was already a key element of ongoing negotiations for future relations.
However, previous discussions had indicated that any aid reduction would likely not occur before the end of 2028, with a possible phased reduction spanning 2028‑2038.
The depth of the shock was evident when several Israeli defense officials told the Post they felt completely blindsided, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to address the matter publicly.
The Post now reports that, days after Trump’s announcement, pervasive uncertainty continues to surround the situation.
It remains unclear whether Israeli officials’ silence stems from ongoing ambiguity on the US side—where many American defense officials were also surprised—or from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s embarrassment or preoccupation with a power struggle against Gadi Eisenkot, strained relations with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, or other factors.
Prior to Trump’s move, US defense officials, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Israeli defense leaders had clear information on the scale and timing of any aid freeze. In the current climate of uncertainty, both US government and private‑sector actors may now be independently imposing their own freezes on certain weapons transfers or approvals to avoid violating Trump’s unclear directives.
Officials are taking preemptive measures to avoid offending Trump while his policies remain ambiguous.
In May 2024, then‑President Joe Biden imposed a partial freeze on the transfer of large 2,000‑pound bombs to Israel, along with several other weapons systems.
Some weapons transfers slowed following Trump announcement, Israeli officials say
Although the Biden‑era freeze was officially limited in scope, many Israeli officials privately reported that it generated ripple effects across the broader weapons‑transfer pipeline, markedly slowing deliveries that were not formally restricted.
Israeli officials, while acknowledging Trump’s strong backing of Israel’s strikes against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran—and the reduced conditions compared with the Biden era—nonetheless express heightened concern about the future, as the current impasse appears unresolved.
In June 2024, the Post reported that then‑Defense Minister Yoav Gallant persuaded the Biden administration to lift many of the restrictions by providing assurances regarding the intended use—or non‑use—of the affected weapons.
By contrast, under Trump, if he has determined that continued military aid is politically untenable, there may be no clear path to resolution.
On the other hand, Trump has asserted that the US will keep selling Israel any weapons it desires, whereas Biden had, in May 2024, frozen certain weapons deliveries, whether through aid packages or full purchase payments.
Optimistically, some Israeli officials still anticipate that Trump might quietly restore portions of military aid over the next two years on an ad‑hoc basis, thereby reducing the need for the regular reporting to the American public and Congress that a formal agreement would require.
Announcement may affect 2023 F‑35 deal, potential F‑15 purchases
In 2023, Israel, the US government, and Lockheed Martin finalized an agreement for 25 additional F‑35 fighter jets, which would expand Israel’s fleet from 50 to 75 aircraft—creating a third squadron. Further steps toward implementation were taken in mid‑2024.
The Post had previously been informed that the first deliveries for the third squadron would begin in 2027.
It remains uncertain how the potential loss of nearly $8 billion in military assistance would impact these acquisitions, as well as parallel purchases of new F‑15 fighters and other systems that Israel cannot produce domestically.
Moreover, the Post has learned that, following Trump’s announcement, there are still no plans to revive Israel’s fighter‑jet industry, which was shut down after a failed effort in the 1980s; Israeli officials estimate a reconstruction would take roughly a decade.
