September 18, 2026

Netanyahu wants to wean Israel off US military support, he tells CBS

The US has agreed to provide $38 billion in military aid to Israel through 2028

Netanyahu wants to wean Israel off US military support, he tells CBS
FILE PHOTO: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony commemorating Israel’s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem Apr 21, 2026. ILIA YEFIMOVICH/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

bdnews24.com

Reuters

Published : 11 May 2026, 02:36 PM

Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:43 PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to wean Israel off US military support within a decade as his country pushes to strengthen ties with Gulf states, he said in an interview that aired on Sunday.

"I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have," Netanyahu told CBS News' "60 Minutes" program.

Israel receives about $3.8 billion of US military aid a year, he said. The US has agreed to provide a total of $38 billion in military aid to Israel from 2018 to 2028.

But it is "absolutely" the right time to possibly reset the US-Israeli financial relationship, Netanyahu said.

"I don't want to wait for the next Congress," he told CBS. "I want to start now."

While Israel has long had bipartisan consensus within the US Congress for military aid, support from lawmakers and the public has frayed since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023.

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