Netanyahu: ‘Israel’ Could Cut US Military Aid to Zero Within a Decade

By Staff, Agencies

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to taper US military aid to zero over the next 10 years, revealing for the first time in public that he does not seek the full renewal of the current American assistance package.

Speaking in a filmed interview with British weekly magazine The Economist, Netanyahu said he had expressed his "deep appreciation" for US military support during his recent meeting with President Donald Trump, while signaling an intention to gradually reduce "Israel’s" reliance on such aid.

Netanyahu argued that "Israel" has developed exceptional capabilities, adding that its economy could reach nearly $1 trillion within a decade, which he cited as a reason for scaling back American military assistance in the coming years.

Under the current agreement, signed in 2016 and entering into force in 2019, the occupation receives about $3.8 billion annually in US military aid, a package that is set to run through 2028 and would require renegotiation thereafter.

The assistance covers the purchase of US weapons and accounts for a significant portion of "Israel’s" military spending, alongside additional emergency US support, particularly for air defense systems such as the Iron Dome.

"Israel" is the largest cumulative recipient of US military assistance in history, having received more than $300 billion in inflation-adjusted aid since 1948. Much of this support has expanded following wars waged by "Israel," including aggressions against Arab states, repeated large-scale wars on Gaza, the 2006 war on Lebanon, and ongoing regional aggressions.

US military aid is underpinned by Washington’s commitment to preserving "Israel’s" so-called "qualitative military edge," a policy that has ensured long-term, largely unconditional assistance, even as “Israel” carries out repeated acts of aggression across the region.

Recent discussions about reducing aid have emerged against the backdrop of mounting political resistance in Washington to open-ended foreign military assistance, particularly within right-wing and "America First" circles.

"Israeli" media have previously reported that figures close to Netanyahu have explored alternative frameworks, such as shifting from direct aid to joint research and development partnerships, to preserve US support under changing political conditions.

Despite this rhetoric, "Israel" has continued to rely heavily on US weapons, intelligence sharing, and logistical backing during its most recent wars, including its ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Analysts note that this creates a sharp disconnect between claims of future self-reliance and the present reality of deep, structural dependence on US military power, a relationship shaped less by economics than by decades of war and strategic alignment.