Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to end US military aid to Israel within ten years, a move praised by a US President Donald Trump’s close aid Lindsey Graham. “I want to phase out the military aid over the next decade,” Netanyahu told The Economist in an interview.
When asked if that meant reducing it to zero, he replied, “Yes.”
As per a deal agreed in 2016, Israel receives about $3.8 billion a year from the US, mainly to buy American-made weapons. The agreement began in 2018 and is set to culminate in 2028. Netanyahu said he will not seek a full renewal. “We want to be as independent as possible,” he said.
Israel to end US military aid soon?
Speaking about his recent meeting with Trump in Florida, the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu added, “I told President Trump we deeply appreciate the military aid America has given us over the years, but we’ve matured and developed incredible capabilities.”
US Senator Graham, who chairs a Senate subcommittee on military aid, welcomed Netanyahu’s plan to reduce reliance on US support and promised to propose a plan to speed up the process. Israeli defence exports rose by 13% last year, with major deals signed for advanced defence technology, including its multi-layered air defence systems.
Graham, a strong supporter of Israel and close Trump ally, wrote on X: “We don’t need to wait ten years to start cutting military aid to Israel. The billions of taxpayer dollars saved should go back into strengthening the US military. I will present a proposal to Israel and the Trump administration to fast-track the timetable.”
Israel to focus on own defence industry?
Before announcing his plans to end US military aid, Netanyahu in December 2025 said Israel would spend 350 billion shekels or around $110 billion on developing its own arms industry to reduce dependence on other countries. Worth noting here is that Israeli defense exports jumped 13% last year.
Meanwhile, the 2016 agreement between the US and Israel provides $38 billion in military aid over ten years, which includes $33 billion in grants for buying equipment and $5 billion for missile defence systems.