Published on 6/23/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that his country must break free from dependence on the United States of America and build an independent weapons system, coinciding with a crisis of confidence and escalating disputes between Tel Aviv and Washington.
Netanyahu added in his speech before a course for reserve combat officers in the Gush Etzion settlement in the southern occupied West Bank, “I very much appreciate the support we received from our American friends, but we need to free ourselves from dependency and build an independent armament system.”
He continued, “We need our own independent armament system. We produce our own armament. We must break free from dependence, build more power, introduce more technology, and train more generations of leaders like you, because this is what will ultimately determine where we will be.”
During the meeting, Netanyahu touched on the confrontation with Iran, stressing that Israel struck Iran and its agents in the region.
On Sunday, Israeli Channel 12 confirmed the existence of a crisis of confidence and growing differences between Washington and Tel Aviv, against the backdrop of the recent American-Iranian understanding.
Yesterday, Monday, Israeli Channel 13 quoted a “senior” Israeli official – which it did not name – as saying that the American message that Israel received in recent weeks was clear, that the previous declaration to move without restrictions in Lebanon had ended.
Yesterday, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that there was a difference in positions between Washington and Tel Aviv regarding the Lebanese file.
The newspaper said that the United States views southern Lebanon within a broader regional context that includes the Strait of Hormuz, energy prices, and the Iranian nuclear file, in addition to the Trump administration’s need to achieve a diplomatic achievement.
On the other hand, Israel believes that any early withdrawal from areas in southern Lebanon may be interpreted as a sign of weakness and considered a reward for Hezbollah.
The US-Iranian agreement entered into force on June 18, after it was signed electronically by Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, and includes a clause stipulating respect for Lebanon’s unity and territorial integrity.
Israel has been occupying areas in southern Lebanon, some of them for decades, and took control of other areas during the war that took place in 2023 and 2024. During the last aggression, it also penetrated more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory.
