Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking to Arutz 7. (YouTube Screenshot)
Netanyahu frames the end of American assistance as a shift toward strategic partnership and joint defense investments.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday described the planned termination of US military aid to Israel as a transition toward a strategic partnership, responding for the first time to President Donald Trump’s announcement that the two leaders had agreed to end American financial assistance.
In a statement published on Netanyahu’s X account, the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized Israel’s economic strength and the longstanding security benefits of American assistance for both countries.
“US military aid to Israel has always been a bipartisan consensus. Israel has used it both to defend itself and to confront enemies that threaten America and the West,” the statement said.
Netanyahu’s office presented the proposed arrangement as a reflection of Israel’s growing economic independence.
“Today, Israel has a strong and stable economy. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump’s transition from aid to partnership illustrates the strength and sophistication of our relationship, and its ability to adapt and remain strong over time,” the statement said.
Trump announced the agreement during a telephone interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on the morning of the midterm elections, saying annual assistance would end this year.
“Netanyahu and I agreed that we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we agreed a few months ago that we’re stopping,” Trump said.
According to Trump, Netanyahu initiated the proposal because Israel had become prosperous enough to finance its own defense. He added that Israel could continue purchasing American weapons and would receive US assistance if necessary.
Diplomatic correspondent Sharya Harush reported that Netanyahu had proposed eliminating American assistance entirely within a decade, initially surprising Trump.
Harush characterized the announcement as politically beneficial to Trump and a gesture of repayment for his support of Netanyahu before Israel’s elections.
The existing US-Israel security assistance agreement provides for funding through 2028, subject to congressional appropriations.
Ending or modifying those commitments would require additional action.
Washington and Jerusalem have also been discussing a new decade-long security framework that could gradually replace direct grants with joint investments in defense, intelligence, weapons development and military technology.
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