Netanyahu says he wants Israel without US aid within ten years

(Patria) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants Israel to be able to manage without American military aid within a decade, he said in an interview published on Friday, AFP reported.

Washington has approved the sale of military equipment worth tens of millions of dollars to help Israel in the war against Hamas in Gaza, and close defense ties between the countries date back decades.

"During my visit to President Trump, I said that we deeply appreciate the military aid that America has provided us over the years," he told The Economist.

"But we have also matured, we have developed incredible capabilities, and our economy will soon, within a decade, reach a trillion dollars.

"That's why I want to reduce military aid in the next ten years."

Israel receives approximately $3.8 billion annually in financial aid from the United States to purchase weapons under an agreement signed in 2016, which came into effect in 2019 and is valid until 2028.

US Senator Lindsey Graham quickly reacted on social media X, saying he would seek to accelerate the cessation of US military aid. According to the think tank Council on Foreign Relations, Israel has received more than $300 billion in military and economic aid since its founding in 1948, adjusted for inflation.

In May, when relations between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump appeared strained, the Israeli prime minister suggested that Israel would eventually have to "wean itself off" American military aid, without further explanation.

In a controversial speech in September, Netanyahu also said that Israel was becoming increasingly isolated and needed to adopt a "super-Sparta" approach.

Following negative reactions after that statement, the Israeli leader later said he was referring to the defense industry and that the country needed to become more self-reliant to avoid potential supply bottlenecks.