Netanyahu urges phased reduction of U.S. military aid to Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged that Israel gradually reduce its dependence on United States military aid, a stance that could signal a shift in the long‑standing defence partnership between the two nations.

In a recent interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Netanyahu said Israel should start scaling down the financial portion of American military support immediately, with the goal of eliminating it entirely within the next decade.

“I want to draw down to zero the American financial support,” he said, referring to the current level of assistance Israel receives under its defence arrangement with Washington.

Under the existing 10‑year memorandum of understanding signed in 2016, Israel is slated to receive about $38 billion in military aid from the United States through 2028, averaging roughly $3.8 billion annually. The package covers areas such as weapons procurement and missile‑defence systems.

Netanyahu added that Israel has reached a stage where it has “come of age” militarily and should progressively work toward greater defence independence, while still maintaining close strategic ties with the United States.