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On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly dismissed reports suggesting that Jerusalem is seeking a 20-year security-aid agreement with the United States. He emphasized that his focus is on moving in the “exact opposite” direction, underscoring that “it’s time to ensure that Israel is independent,” with further details to be announced “very soon.”
During a conversation on Australian journalist Erin Molan’s podcast, Netanyahu addressed the recently published report, urging listeners to “follow what I say, not what is put forward in some leaks that are not true.” He portrayed his policy as a move towards “greater independence.”
Reflecting on his initial tenure as Prime Minister in 1996, Netanyahu recalled telling Congress that Israel would gradually eliminate economic aid in favor of developing a “high-tech, free-market capitalist economy.”
He expressed his current ambition for Israel’s arms industry to achieve “as independent as possible” status.
When questioned about the potential to completely end military aid, he reiterated, “It’s time to ensure that Israel is independent.”
Netanyahu pointed out that U.S. support for Israel constitutes only a “tiny, tiny, tiny fraction” of what Washington has invested in other parts of the Middle East. He also highlighted that nearly 80 percent of this assistance is used to purchase American-made systems.
He noted U.S. support for Israel is a “tiny, tiny, tiny fraction” of what Washington has spent elsewhere in the Middle East and emphasized that roughly 80 percent of assistance is spent in the United States on American-made systems.
The comments came as Israeli and U.S. officials continue quiet, preliminary contacts over the next security framework ahead of the current MOU’s 2028 expiration.
The report said Israeli and U.S. officials have discussed a 20-year framework with “America First” elements — including steering funds into joint R&D in defense tech, AI, and the “Golden Dome” initiative — to appeal to the Trump administration as talks ramp up.
Israeli outlets reported the government is simultaneously examining alternatives to the current aid architecture — the $3.8 billion-per-year memorandum of understanding that expires in 2028 — including models that put more weight on bilateral tech cooperation and joint production over traditional grants.
Separately, officials told i24NEWS that Israel is considering a gradual reduction of American military aid, echoing Netanyahu’s call for a “much more independent” defense industry.
Marc Zell, chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, welcomed the direction in response to the Axios report, urging Israel to “wean itself from American military aid altogether — perhaps gradually, but completely — and transition to a purely commercial relationship.”
“True sovereignty and true partnership require Israel to stand on its own feet,” he said.
The discussion has been building for months.
In March, Jewish Insider profiled Likud MK Amit Halevi’s campaign to replace grants with a partnership model centered on cooperative R&D and joint production, arguing that aid “creates a false narrative of dependency” and exposes Israel to political pressure.
In January, the outlet detailed a Knesset subcommittee hearing that examined how changing American politics — and delays in weapons deliveries at the time under the then-Biden administration — should shape Israel’s strategic posture.
In May, it reported Netanyahu telling lawmakers Israel must begin to “wean” itself off U.S. military aid, drawing a line to the 1990s phase-out of economic assistance.
Israeli officials indicated Netanyahu may outline concrete steps toward that independence in the coming weeks.
