Under a military aid package negotiated in 2016,\u00a0Israel receives some $3.8 billion annually from the US, mostly in the form of subsidies to buy American-made arms. The aid package, which took effect in 2018, is set to expire in 2028.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said he would not seek its full renewal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be as independent as possible,\u201d he stated. Referring to his meeting with the US leader in Florida late last month, Netanyahu added: \u201cIn my visit to President Trump, I said we very deeply appreciate the military aid that America has given us over the years, but here too we\u2019ve come of age, and we\u2019ve developed incredible capacities.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n US Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of a US Senate subcommittee that oversees military aid, welcomed Netanyahu\u2019s commitment to wean Israel off US assistance and vowed to present a proposal \u201cto dramatically expedite the timetable.\u201d<\/p>\n Binyamin Netanyahu says he wants to reduce Israel\u2019s reliance on American military aid to zero within ten years. In an interview with The Economist, the Israeli prime minister said while it was \u201cmuch appreciated\u201d, his country had \u201ccome of age\u201d and its economy would soon reach \u201ca\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/DCvUY2Z9aJ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Economist (@TheEconomist) January 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe aid we have provided to Israel has been a great investment keeping the IDF strong, sharing technology and making their military more capable \u2014 to the benefit of the United States,\u201d the South Carolina Republican wrote\u00a0on X<\/a>. \u201cApparently, there is a desire by Israel to change that dynamic because they have a roaring economy.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI will always appreciate allies who are trying to be more self-sufficient and believe that, given what the Prime Minister said, we need not wait ten years,\u201d he said, adding that termination of aid for Israel would save US taxpayers billions that could then be \u201cplowed back into the US military.\u201d<\/p>\n As head of the US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Graham said, \u201cI will be presenting a proposal to Israel and the Trump administration to dramatically expedite the timetable.\u201d<\/p>\n Axios reported<\/a> in November that Israeli-US discussions on the next military aid package had begun in recent weeks, after delays due to the war against Hamas in Gaza. According to that report, Israel was not only seeking to renew the aid package with the US, but to expand it to 20 years.<\/p>\n \t The Axios report, which cited US and Israeli officials, noted that discussions were complicated by growing isolationism in Trump\u2019s base.<\/p>\n At the time, Netanyahu denied the Axios report, saying, as he did in his new interview with The Economist, that he thinks \u201cit\u2019s time to ensure that Israel is independent.\u201d<\/p>\n The US committed to providing billions in military assistance to Israel and Egypt each year when they signed their 1979 US-brokered peace treaty.<\/p>\n While US aid once made up a significant chunk of Israel\u2019s military spending, the percentage it makes up of those funds has significantly declined in recent years as Israel\u2019s economy has flourished.<\/p>\n Under the 2025 budget, the Defense Ministry\u2019s budget alone swelled to a record NIS 110 billion ($29 billion) out of a total defense budget of NIS\u200b 136 billion ($36.9 billion).<\/p>\n Part of Israel\u2019s push to end aid stems from frustrations during the Gaza war when several allies halted arms supplies, including the Biden administration which held up the transfer of some munitions.<\/p>\n Lazar Berman contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) meets with US Senator Lindsey Graham in Tel Aviv, February 17, 2025. (Maayan Taof \/ GPO)<\/p>\n
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