Published On 1/7/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his desire to dispense with the financial aid provided by the United States of America to Tel Aviv, likening it to “social aid,” in light of tensions in relations between the two sides, especially with regard to the Iranian file.
Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli Channel 14 broadcast on Tuesday evening, “I want to stop American aid. It is more like social assistance. I do not want it,” claiming that the Israeli economy is no longer classified as a small economy, but rather has the ability to rely on itself and bear its entire costs.
The Israeli Prime Minister – wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza – explained that he is seeking to develop a 10-year plan aimed at gradually reducing dependence on Washington.
He pointed out that he had previously presented this vision to Congress in 1996, stressing that Israel’s economy, which is approaching the trillion-dollar barrier, will be able to finance itself starting next year.
restructuring
Netanyahu had revealed – in an interview with the “60 Minutes” program on the American CBS network on May 11 – his intention to restructure the financial relationship with Washington, saying, “I want to reduce American financial support to zero, that is, the financial component of the existing military cooperation between us.”
He added at the time that we must begin immediately to gradually eliminate military support, which amounts to $3.8 billion annually, over the next decade, noting that he discussed this trend with US President Donald Trump.
It is noteworthy that the United States is Israel’s largest ally, and the two parties are bound by an agreement signed in 2016 to provide aid worth $38 billion over 10 years (between 2019 and 2028).
These statements come at a time when relations between Tel Aviv and Washington are witnessing clear differences regarding negotiations with Iran, and Israeli officials believe that President Trump’s administration has distanced Tel Aviv from negotiating paths with Washington, without sufficient consideration of Israeli demands and interests.
It is noteworthy that the United States and Israel have entered into a war with Iran since February 28, a confrontation that resulted in more than 3,000 deaths, followed by Iranian responses that led to deaths on both the Israeli and American sides.
