Netanyahu: Israel can end US military aid within a decade

Israel's reliance on American military assistance could be a thing of the past within ten years, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In an interview aired on Sunday, he expressed his ambition for the country to achieve self-sufficiency in defense funding.

Speaking on CBS's "60 Minutes," Netanyahu stated, "I want to reduce the American financial support—the financial component of our military cooperation—to zero." He noted that Israel currently receives approximately $3.8 billion annually in U.S. military aid.

The United States has already committed to a total of $38 billion in military assistance to Israel covering the years 2018 through 2028. Despite this long-term agreement, Netanyahu argued that now is "definitely" the right moment to recalibrate the financial relationship between the two nations.

"I don't want to wait for the next Congress. I want to start now," he added.

While Israel has historically enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for military aid, that backing from lawmakers and the public has eroded since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023.