Trump to pull $4B funding to Israel

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he made a deal with Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would stop US $4 billion in annual funding to Israel after this year, but will still sell weapons to its close Middle East ally.

In a surprise announcement as US voters headed to the polls for midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress,Trump cast the move as partly meant to take away a "bad talking

point" he said left-wing Democrats had used against his fellow Republicans over support for military assistance to Israel.

Trump did not provide details or explain how the funding would be stopped at the end of the year, given the Memorandum of Understanding that provides US$3.8 billion in US military aid to Israel each year does not expire until September 2028.

But some analysts suggested Trump's declaration was an Election Day ploy.

Conversations have been under way on how Washington's assistance to Israel would evolve beyond that date, and Netanyahu had already said he expects US aid to wind down over time.