Why Israel Wants to Wean Itself Off U.S. Military Aid

"Ending decades of U.S. military assistance to Israel-which has included $3.8 billion a year since 2017, or close to one-fifth of Israel's annual defense spending-would be a momentous shift that Netanyahu says reflects his country's emergence as an advanced military power that can reduce its reliance on outside help."

"By the time the leaders next met, in Washington, D.C., on February 11 to discuss Iran, Trump had come around. Eager to shift the military burden onto others and curtail foreign aid, the president brought up Netanyahu's proposal, according to an Israeli official who shared previously undisclosed details of the recent discussions."

"In the prime minister's vision, the aid would be replaced over the next decade by a strategic partnership that, according to the few details he has released, would bring increased joint innovation and reciprocal investment."

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu proposed to President Trump that Israel reduce its reliance on U.S. military aid, currently $3.8 billion annually since 2017. Initially surprised, Trump eventually endorsed the idea during their February 11 meeting in Washington, with Secretary of State Rubio also supporting the approach. Netanyahu frames this as reflecting Israel's emergence as an advanced military power capable of greater independence. The proposed transition would replace traditional military assistance with a strategic partnership emphasizing joint innovation and reciprocal investment over the next decade. This represents a significant departure from decades of U.S. defense support that has been central to American Middle East strategy.

Read at The Atlantic