Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intends to gradually phase out U.S. military assistance over the next decade, a position that has drawn praise from a key ally of U.S. President Donald Trump amid growing debate within his political base over foreign aid.

In an interview with The Economist, conducted Thursday and published Friday, Netanyahu said Israel seeks to end U.S. military aid entirely within 10 years. Asked whether that meant tapering assistance to zero, he replied affirmatively.

Under a military aid agreement negotiated in 2016, Israel receives approximately $3.8 billion annually from the United States, primarily in the form of subsidies to purchase American-made weapons. The agreement took effect in 2018 and is set to expire in 2028. Netanyahu said he would not seek a full renewal.

“We want to be as independent as possible,” Netanyahu said. Referring to a recent meeting with Trump in Florida, he added that he expressed deep appreciation for past U.S. support but emphasized that Israel has “come of age” and developed significant military and technological capabilities of its own.

Netanyahu’s remarks were welcomed by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who chairs a Senate subcommittee overseeing foreign military aid. Writing on X, Graham praised Israel’s desire for greater self-sufficiency and said he would propose accelerating the timeline for ending U.S. assistance.

“The aid we have provided to Israel has been a great investment,” Graham wrote, citing benefits such as shared technology and a stronger Israeli military that also serves U.S. interests. He added that ending aid sooner could save U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars that could be redirected to the American military. Graham said he plans to present a proposal to both Israel and the Trump administration to “dramatically expedite the timetable.”

The comments mark a shift from reports late last year by Axios, which said Israeli-U.S. discussions had begun on a new military aid package following delays caused by the war with Hamas in Gaza. According to that report, Israel was not only seeking to renew the agreement but to extend it to 20 years. Netanyahu denied those claims at the time, reiterating his view that Israel should move toward independence.

U.S. military assistance to Israel dates back decades and was formalized alongside aid to Egypt following the 1979 U.S.-brokered peace treaty between the two countries. While the aid once accounted for a substantial share of Israel’s defense spending, its relative importance has declined as Israel’s economy has grown.

Under Israel’s 2025 budget, the Defense Ministry alone is allocated a record NIS 110 billion (about $29 billion), within a total defense budget of NIS 136 billion (roughly $36.9 billion).

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