Israel must have “arms independence,” Netanyahu says, as US military aid expiring in 2028

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel must achieve "arms independence," urging the nation to develop its own independent armaments system. Speaking to reserve officers in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu stressed the necessity for Israel to produce its own weapons, even as he acknowledged and appreciated the significant military aid received from the United States over the years.

This call for self-sufficiency comes as a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on U.S. military aid, signed in 2018, is scheduled to expire in 2028. Under this agreement, Israel receives $3.8 billion annually, with a substantial portion mandated for spending on U.S. arms manufacturers. The expiration necessitates renegotiation, a process complicated by increasing political scrutiny of Israel in the U.S.

Netanyahu's remarks echo sentiments he expressed in September, when he acknowledged Israel's "kind of isolation" and vowed to develop its own weapons industry, envisioning Israel as "Athens and super Sparta combined." The political landscape in the U.S. has become more challenging, with the Democratic Party increasingly critical of Netanyahu and Israel's actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Younger Republicans have also shown growing criticism. In early June, the Israeli Defense Ministry initiated formal discussions with the Trump administration regarding a new security cooperation framework to succeed the current MOU.

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I want arms independence. I deeply appreciate the support we have received – and that I have also secured over the years – from our American friends. Today I say: we must have our own independent armaments system. We must produce our own weapons.