Mazaj News (Web Desk) In an interview with The Economist, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he aims to gradually reduce Israel’s reliance on U.S. military aid over the next decade.
Netanyahu has previously emphasized that Israel should not depend on foreign military assistance, though he has not set a definitive deadline for achieving full independence from Washington.
“I want to gradually reduce our military dependence within the next ten years,” Netanyahu said. When asked if that meant “down to zero,” he responded, “Yes.”
He added that he told President Donald Trump during a recent meeting that Israel “deeply values” the military aid provided by the U.S. over the years but noted, “We’ve matured and developed remarkable capabilities of our own.”
In December, Netanyahu announced that Israel would invest $110 billion in building an independent defense industry to lessen reliance on other nations. The U.S. and Israel had signed a memorandum of understanding covering 10 years through September 2028, which allocates $38 billion in military aid, $33 billion in grants for purchasing equipment, and $5 billion for missile defense systems. Last year, Israeli defense exports increased by 13 percent, with significant deals secured for advanced defense technologies, including its sophisticated multi-layered aerial defense systems.
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Israel and close ally of Trump, commented on X that “there’s no need to wait ten years” to start reducing military aid. “The billions saved in taxpayer dollars by accelerating the end of U.S. aid to Israel could and should be redirected to strengthen the U.S. military,” Graham said. He added that he plans to present a proposal to Israel and the Trump administration to significantly speed up the timeline.