Netanyahu seeks gradual end to US military aid, PM’s office says
Israel’s economic strength allows it to move toward a partnership with Washington that no longer depends on aid, according to the statement
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to gradually phase out American military aid to Israel, his office said, describing the proposal as a shift toward a relationship based on partnership rather than financial assistance.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Israel’s “strong and stable economy” now makes such a transition possible. It characterized the move as a joint initiative by Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
The statement drew a parallel with Netanyahu’s announcement in 1996 that Israel would gradually end US economic aid, which it said stood at $1.2 billion at the time. According to his office, Netanyahu subsequently fulfilled that commitment.
Thirty years later, the office said, Netanyahu believes Israel is economically strong enough to pursue a similar approach to military assistance.
The statement cited Netanyahu’s interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” in May, during which he said: “I want to gradually reduce American financial aid to zero.”
It also cited US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks in Paris this week, where he described the proposal as “a step the Israelis themselves proposed to us.”
The Prime Minister’s Office presented the initiative as a reflection of the strength of the US-Israel alliance and its ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
The statement did not provide a timetable for ending military aid or detail the arrangements that would replace it.
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