Citing Israeli media reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee about the possibility of fully severing ties with the US military aid programme. The same way they did with economic aid in 2008. Relinquishing security aid would represent a historic turning point and a strategic-level shift in the relationship between Washington and Jerusalem.
‘I think we will need to wean ourselves off American military aid,’ Netanyahu told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee late on Sunday, according to the Israeli daily Maariv, reported Anadolu.
Israel Is the Main Beneficiary of Us Military Aid
Due to its strategic partnership with Washington, Israel has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of US military aid, which has been formalized through ten-year Foreign Military Financing (FMF) agreements since 1999. The current deal, signed in 2016 and running until 2028, provides a total of $38 billion, equivalent to $3.8 billion annually. 74 per cent of the funds are required to be spent on US defence equipment and services. This substantial support is especially critical for Israel in the current wartime situation.
Beyond this regular aid, several one-time funding packages and expedited arms sales have occurred in recent years. Since Trump took office, Israel has received approximately $14 billion in such additional assistance.
The next ten-year US–Israel military aid package is set to be negotiated during this Trump presidency. Until recently, expectations were that with Trump’s pro-Israel stance, Israel could find itself with a larger military aid package than ever before.
If, however, Israel is seriously contemplating ending this long-standing military support arrangement, it would require not only financial adjustments but also a massive scaling-up of domestic defence manufacturing capacity.
Sovereignty in the Fore
So, if it’s such a help to Israel, why would it want to terminate all this—if the reports are true? Under the Biden administration, Israel has increasingly realized how vulnerable its defence sector is to US political leverage. The White House has previously used delays or holds on arms transfers as a form of political pressure—even during the war with Hamas and Hezbollah, when such supplies were crucial to Israel’s security.
Additionally, sources in both the US and Israel suggest storm clouds are gathering over the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, naming several contentious issues that lie in the background.
The US seemingly prefers diplomacy over military force to address Iran’s nuclear programme, while Israel fears another overly lenient deal could emerge, which does not adequately address Iran’s ballistic missile programme or its regional terror-support activity.
In the Gaza conflict, Israel continues to rely on military means, whereas Trump’s team would favour negotiations. Washington has also engaged in direct negotiations with Hamas, to Israel’s disapproval.
While recent leaks indicate that the US might finalize an agreement with Saudi Arabia that does not require normalization with Israel.
Those who argue for the deterioration of bilateral relations also mention Trump’s multiday Middle East tour this week, which oddly skips Israel.
What’s the Truth behind the Gloating?
While various—not-so-Israel-friendly—media outlets have taken up the news of the deterioration in US–Israeli relations with glee, the truth may lie elsewhere. Tensions between the two sides do exist—even on strategic matters—and occasionally spill into public view. The key difference, especially compared to the Biden era, is that these leaks are not weaponized publicly. Instead, both parties swiftly work to defuse them.
Accordingly, both the White House and Netanyahu have publicly turned down reports about the deteriorating relationship or discord between the two leaders, emphasizing that US–Israeli relations remain fruitful and friendly.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff added his voice to the growing chorus of officials denying any tensions between the two leaders, in an interview with the right-wing Breitbart news site:
‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli people are a staunch ally of the United States, and it goes back the other way,’ said Witkoff. ‘I’ve been at multiple meetings with the President and the Prime Minister—they’re friendly. They’re good friends, in fact.’
Related articles:
