Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel should move away from receiving U.S. military assistance, arguing the country must build an independent arms and defense capability.
Speaking with reservists at a combat officers’ course in Gush Etzion, Netanyahu said Israel needs “armaments independence,” saying he “deeply appreciate[s]” U.S. support but believes Israel must manufacture its own weapons and technologies. He framed the push for self-reliance as key to long-term strength against Iran and its regional proxies, and said developing local defense capacity would determine where Israel is “30 years from now.”
His comments come as lawmakers have been pushing a proposal that would negotiate a new U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding to replace the current structure of annual U.S. military aid. The initiative—backed by U.S. Representative Marlin Stutzman—would aim to phase out the $3.8 billion annual assistance figure and replace it with a broader framework centered on cooperative defense and trade.
In remarks attributed to the prime minister through the proposal’s sponsor, Netanyahu suggested the alliance should shift from Israel as an aid recipient to Israel as an equal partner, emphasizing mutual strategic interests and independence.
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