Netanyahu announced plans to gradually withdraw American military aid.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country intends to gradually stop American military aid. This is the second such statement after US President Donald Trump announced the end of aid to Israel this year, Israeli media write.
The ministry recalled that back in 1996, Netanyahu promised to refuse US economic aid ($1.2 billion) - and this promise was kept. Now, his office says, Israel's economy is strong enough to give up military support as well. The move is presented as a joint initiative of Netanyahu and Trump - a transition from financial aid to partnership.
At the same time, Netanyahu's position is different from Trump's conditions: the prime minister spoke of a gradual reduction of aid to zero in the coming decade, and not of an immediate cessation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that refusing aid is "a step that the Israelis themselves offered us."
In early November, Trump said that Washington would stop providing $4 billion in annual funding to Israel after the end of 2026. At the same time, the current memorandum provides annual military aid of $3.8 billion, but will expire in 2028.
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