Netanyahu: Israel will phase out U.S. military aid over the next 10 years

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to completely end U.S. financial aid provided under military cooperation agreements.

He shared these intentions in an interview with the American television network CBS News.

The phased reduction of the annual $3.8 billion in military assistance is expected to continue over the next 10 years.

Netanyahu said Israel must gradually become independent from direct U.S. financial support. He added that he has already discussed the idea with President Donald Trump and is prepared to begin the transition immediately.

According to the Israeli prime minister, the move is necessary because of changing political attitudes in the United States. He noted declining support for Israel among Americans, which he believes is influenced by misinformation and manipulation on social media.

Currently, the funding is governed by a 10-year agreement covering the 2019–2028 period. Under the deal, the total amount of aid is $38 billion.

The package is divided into two main parts: $33 billion allocated for weapons procurement and $5 billion for the development of missile defense systems. Most of the funds are spent on purchasing American-made weapons, including F-35 fighter jets.

According to ForeignAssistance.gov, Israel is historically the largest recipient of U.S. aid. Statistics show that assistance began reaching billions of dollars after the signing of the Camp David Accords in the late 1970s.

During the previous 10-year cycle (2010–2018), Israel received about $3 billion annually. These figures are documented in Congressional Research Service reports detailing trends in military spending.

Since 2019, the base amount has increased to the current $3.8 billion per year. Netanyahu proposes treating this level as the peak and beginning a gradual reduction, decreasing the share of U.S. funding in Israel’s budget each year.

Instead of direct financial aid, the prime minister sees the future in technological cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, energy, and quantum computing.

The Israel Ministry of Defense has approved the purchase of additional F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets from the United States to form two new squadrons.