Israel plans to end dependence on US military aid within 10 years
Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to completely phase out American military financial aid — $3.8 billion per year — within ten years. He also confirmed that the war with Iran is not over and uranium enrichment has not been stopped, CBS News reports.
Refusal of US aid
In an interview with CBS News, Netanyahu said he personally told Trump that Israel must "draw down to zero" the American financial support. According to him, the process should begin now and be completed within ten years.
"I want to draw down to zero the American financial support," the prime minister said, adding that listeners' jaws drop when they hear this.
The step is somewhat balanced against the background that 60% of Americans, according to Pew, have an unfavorable opinion of Israel, an increase of almost 20 points over four years.
The war with Iran is not over
Netanyahu directly stated that war continues as long as enriched uranium remains in Iran, enrichment facilities operate, proxy groups function, and ballistic missiles are preserved.
When asked how to remove nuclear materials, he answered briefly: "You go in, and you take it out." He refused to disclose details regarding the possible use of force.
Lebanon and Hezbollah
Netanyahu made clear that even if an agreement with Iran is reached, combat operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon may continue separately. Iran wants to link two theaters of war, but Israel will not agree to this.
At the same time, the prime minister expressed hope that if the Iranian regime falls, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis will collapse together with it.
New alliances in the region
Netanyahu stated that he sees a possibility for expanding alliances with Arab states — "of the kind that we never even dreamed of." According to him, some Arab countries are already approaching Israel with proposals to strengthen alliances, particularly in fields of energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.
China and Iran
Netanyahu confirmed that China supplied Iran with components for missile production and did not rule out that this is still happening. He refused to comment further.
On May 14-15, talks between Israel and Lebanon mediated by the United States are expected to take place in Lebanon. Parties plan to work on a comprehensive peace agreement.
However, ceasefire agreements between Israel and the Hezbollah group proved fragile. Parties continued attacks, and Israel, for the first time, used the new Ro'em artillery system against Hezbollah, a next-generation self-propelled howitzer.
Ceasefire concluded on April 16 with the assistance of the United States, which provided for a 10-day cessation of fire. The Prime Minister of Lebanon welcomed this initiative. Prime Minister of Israel, for his part, stated that the Israel Defense Forces would remain at strategic positions during the ceasefire.
