U.S. Suspension of Foreign Aid Excludes Military Assistance to Israel and Egypt


A sudden halt to U.S. foreign aid by the Trump administration will not affect weapons support to Israel and Egypt, nor emergency food assistance, according to a memo issued by the State Department. This memo was distributed to various bureaus and U.S. missions overseas on Friday.

On the same day, the White House informed the Pentagon that it could proceed with a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. This shipment had been previously halted by President Biden last summer in an effort to dissuade the Israeli military from extensive bombing in the city of Rafah. Despite the halt, Israeli forces continued their operations in the city.

The shipment includes 1,800 MK-84 bombs, which U.S. military officers consider too lethal for urban combat. Prior to the halt, the Biden administration had been supplying these bombs to Israel amid its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The memo on foreign aid, sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines how the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.) are to implement an executive order that pauses foreign aid for a 90-day reassessment period. This order was signed by President Trump shortly after his inauguration.

According to the memo, employees involved in foreign aid are instructed to refrain from designating new funding, processing applications, and to issue “stop-work” orders to organizations that have received grants. This directive has raised concerns among various groups globally that depend on U.S. foreign aid for programs addressing issues such as disease prevention and climate change.

Some organizations have indicated they may cease operations immediately and begin laying off staff or suspending salaries due to the aid halt.

The State Department also manages military aid to allied nations, with specific exemptions noted in the memo for Israel and Egypt, including salaries for personnel managing that aid. Both countries receive direct military financing from the U.S. government, which they use to purchase weapons and military training from U.S. manufacturers.

The suspension of foreign aid will affect military assistance to Ukraine, Taiwan, Lebanon, and other partner nations, including NATO members. Much of the recent urgent aid for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia has already been dispatched. Officials in the Biden administration had anticipated that Trump might attempt to halt arms aid to Ukraine, given his previous skepticism regarding such support.

The State Department did not provide an immediate comment regarding the memo.

The military support for Israel has become a contentious issue in the U.S., particularly following Israel's military actions in Gaza since the Hamas attacks in October 2023. This has led to increased criticism of the longstanding bipartisan policy of providing military aid to Israel. Former President Biden authorized $26 billion in military aid to Israel after the outbreak of conflict, while Trump has expressed intentions to continue support for the nation.

Some lawmakers, especially Democrats, have also criticized the U.S. policy of substantial arms aid to Egypt. Last year, Congress approved $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt, with $320 million contingent on a review of Egypt's human rights practices by the State Department. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the full amount last September, despite ongoing criticism from some lawmakers and watchdog organizations regarding Egypt's human rights record.

The State Department memo further instructs officials to create a central database for all U.S. foreign aid, requiring that all aid be reviewed and approved by Rubio or his designated representatives to ensure alignment with U.S. foreign policy. The authenticity of the memo has been confirmed by individuals who have seen it.

Additionally, the memo states that the director of the office of policy planning will establish guidelines for reviewing all foreign aid within 30 days. The director, Michael Anton, previously served on the National Security Council during Trump's first term and is known for advocating significant changes to American policy.





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