Netanyahu Responds to Trump, Plans Gradual End to US Military Aid

Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba

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Hebrew · 9 newsrooms covering

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans a gradual, decade-long phase-out of U.S. military aid, following President Donald Trump's announcement to end assistance by 2026. Netanyahu stated Israel's strong economy can support this shift from aid to partnership. He previously expressed this intention in May, aiming to reduce the annual $3.8 billion aid to zero over ten years.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

Prime Minister Netanyahu plans a gradual end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
The U.S. aid package is currently valued at approximately $3.8 billion annually.
President Donald Trump declared the U.S. will cease military aid by the end of 2026.
Netanyahu's plan involves a decade-long reduction of the aid.
Israel's economy is deemed strong enough to manage the transition.
Netanyahu previously aimed to phase out U.S. economic aid in 1996.

Netanyahu Responds to Trump, Plans Gradual End to US Military Aid — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to gradually phase out U.S. military aid to Israel, following a declaration by U.S. President Donald Trump to cease assistance by the end of 2026. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office emphasized that Israel's economy is robust enough to support this transition, moving the relationship from aid-based to a partnership. The annual aid package currently amounts to approximately $3.8 billion, under an agreement valid until 2028.

Netanyahu's plan, however, proposes a decade-long gradual reduction rather than an immediate halt. This approach echoes a similar initiative he launched in 1996 to phase out U.S. economic aid, which then stood at $1.2 billion annually. His office highlighted that Israel successfully achieved that goal, and current economic conditions now permit a similar strategy for military aid.

Previously, in May, Netanyahu expressed his desire to reduce U.S. financial aid to zero during an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes." He indicated a preference to commence this process immediately and conclude it within ten years.