As Jerusalem seeks greater defense independence, supporters see a path to strategic autonomy while critics warn against weakening a vital alliance.
In early May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is preparing to begin reducing its dependence on U.S. military aid.
Speaking on CBS‘s flagship news program, “60 Minutes,” Netanyahu told correspondent Major Garrett that he wanted to “draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have,” over the next decade.
“I said, ‘Let’s start now and do it over the next decade, over the next 10 years, but I want to start now. I don’t want to wait for the next Congress,’” he said.
The statement consolidated a position Netanyahu had been advancing since at least February 2026, when he told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations that Israel sought to “move with the United States from aid to partnership.”