PM Netanyahu endorses Republican plan to phase out US military aid to Israel

Republican lawmakers are advancing legislation that would phase out the $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel and replace it with expanded defense trade and strategic cooperation – a proposal that has won the endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a Washington Post report published Wednesday.

The legislation, proposed by Republican Reps. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and Abe Hamadeh of Arizona would establish a framework for transitioning away from direct military assistance after the current 10-year memorandum of understanding, negotiated during the Obama administration, expires in 2028.

Supporters argue the shift would reflect Israel's growing economic and military strength while preserving close strategic ties between Washington and Jerusalem.

The proposal comes amid mounting calls among some Democrats to cut military aid to Israel entirely once the current agreement expires. It also arrives as support for Israel has declined in both major U.S. political parties, particularly among younger voters.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 60% of Americans hold an unfavorable view of the Jewish state. Among Republicans under 50, that figure stands at 57%.

Against that backdrop, U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Israel has become an increasingly contentious political issue, prompting lawmakers in both Washington and Jerusalem to explore alternative frameworks for the bilateral relationship.

According to the Washington Post, when Stutzman presented the proposal to Netanyahu during a recent visit to Jerusalem, the prime minister responded by saying, “I like it. This is the direction I’ve been wanting to go for a long time. We want to stand on our own feet.”

In a subsequent comment on the subject, Netanyahu added that “The time has now arrived for us to move from aid recipient to partner.”

The proposal has also received a warm endorsement from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

However, the legislation is not without its critics. While much of the attention has focused on the aid component, opponents have raised concerns about Section 224, known as the U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.

The provision would require the Secretary of Defense to designate an “executive agent responsible for synchronizing cooperative efforts between the United States and Israel, including bilateral defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation.”

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican who has frequently criticized the U.S.-Israel alliance, has emerged as one of the proposal's most vocal opponents. In a post on 𝕏 last week, he wrote that “If the provision in the NDAA to integrate/synchronize the US and Israeli militaries (section 224) makes it out of committee, I’ll offer an amendment to strip it from the bill on the floor. “We are a sovereign country…”

He was joined by Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing California’s 17th District, who has advocated for reducing U.S. support for Israel and has called for ending American funding of the Iron Dome program.

Shortly after Massie’s post, Khanna wrote on 𝕏, “And I will be offering an amendment in the committee itself to strip section 224 out, @RepThomasMassie. Trump can’t kill the Massie/Khanna partnership no matter how much he posts on Truth Social.”

Despite opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, congressional observers say the legislation has a strong chance of advancing through Congress and reaching President Trump’s desk before the midterm elections in November.