Israel to Pay Its Own Way

he era of Israel’s dependence on US military aid is drawing to a close sooner than expected. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu explicitly made this point during an interview with the Economist’s editor in chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, noting that the topic arose during his recent meeting with President Trump, and that a plan to taper US military assistance to zero within a decade is “in the works.”

Senator Lindsey Graham (R–SC), a prominent supporter of Israel, promptly responded, tweeting that he intends to introduce legislation to accelerate this timeline. Doing so would avoid the need to negotiate a new ten-year US military aid package for Israel to replace the one set to expire in 2028. This would win broad support from both the US Congress and the Knesset.

If Israel procures its military equipment independently, using its own resources, it will gain more strategic autonomy. Israel’s detractors would have a much harder time arguing that aid to Israel is a one-way street or that Israel is an economic burden. Israel’s move toward greater military self-sufficiency will allow the US to reallocate aid to other priorities, reducing the likelihood of US intervention in Israel’s defense.

Netanyahu told the Economist that he deeply appreciates US military support to date, but that within the next decade Israel will have a $1 trillion-a-year economy and that Israel “has come of age,” signaling its readiness for a new age of self-reliance, within limits.