Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected a report that Jerusalem would implement a 20-year US security aid package, saying it was “in the exact opposite direction” and adding that “the time has come to guarantee Israel's independence,” with an announcement expected “very soon.”
In a podcast interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan, Netanyahu addressed the report. published minutes earlier and advised Molan to “follow what I say and not what is being put forward in some leaks that are not true,” describing his policy as a shift toward “more independence.”
Netanyahu tied this position to his first term as prime minister, recalling that in 1996 he told Congress that Israel would phase out economic aid to build a “high-tech, free-market capitalist economy.”
He said he now wants Israel's arms industry to be “as independent as possible.”
Asked whether it was time to cut military aid completely, he replied: “The time has come to ensure Israel’s independence.”
He noted that U.S. support for Israel is a “tiny, tiny, tiny fraction” of what Washington has spent elsewhere in the Middle East, and stressed that roughly 80 percent of aid is spent in the United States on American-made systems.
The comments come as Israeli and U.S. officials continue quiet preliminary contacts over the next security structure ahead of the expiration of the current Memorandum of Understanding in 2028.
The report said Israeli and U.S. officials have discussed a 20-year program with elements of an “America First” agenda, including directing funds toward joint research and development in defense technology, artificial intelligence and the Golden Dome initiative, to appeal to the Trump administration as negotiations intensify.
Israeli stores reported The government is simultaneously exploring alternatives to the current aid architecture—a $3.8 billion-a-year memorandum of understanding that expires in 2028—including models that place greater weight on bilateral technology cooperation and co-production over traditional grants.
Separately, officials said i24NEWS that Israel is considering a gradual reduction in US military aid, echoing Netanyahu's call for a “much more independent” defense industry.
Mark Zell, chairman of Republicans Abroad in Israel, applauded the direction in response to the Axios report, calling for Israel to “completely withdraw American military assistance—perhaps gradually, but completely—and move toward a purely commercial relationship.”
“True sovereignty and true partnership require Israel to stand on its own two feet,” he said.
The discussion dragged on for several months.
In March Jewish Insider spoke about Likud MK Amit Halevi's campaign to replace grants with a partnership model focused on joint research and development and co-production, argue this aid “creates a false picture of dependency” and exposes Israel to political pressure.
Outlet in January detailed hearings before a Knesset subcommittee that examined how changes in American policy – and delays in arms shipments under the then Biden administration – should affect Israel's strategic posture.
In May it is reported Netanyahu tells lawmakers that Israel must begin to “wean itself off” US military aid, drawing a line back to the phase-out of economic aid in the 1990s.
Israeli officials have noted that Netanyahu may outline concrete steps toward that independence in the coming weeks.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
