Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his goal to eliminate U.S. military assistance to his nation within the next ten years during a television interview broadcast Sunday.
Speaking on CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Netanyahu expressed his desire to completely phase out American financial assistance for military cooperation between the two countries. “I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have,” the Israeli leader stated.
Currently, Israel receives approximately $3.8 billion annually in U.S. military assistance. Under an existing agreement, America has committed to providing $38 billion total in military aid to Israel spanning from 2018 through 2028.
Netanyahu emphasized that now represents the ideal moment to potentially restructure the financial relationship between the United States and Israel, calling it “absolutely” the appropriate time for such a change.
“I don’t want to wait for the next Congress,” Netanyahu explained to CBS reporters. “I want to start now.”
Although Israel has historically enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress regarding military assistance, that backing has weakened among both legislators and American citizens following the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
