AIPAC's worst nightmare? Why Netanyahu said Israel doesn't want U.S. military aid

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Jan 14, 2026

Ben Samuels, Washington correspondent for Haaretz, and Amos Harel, senior defense analyst at the same outlet, dive into Netanyahu's surprising claim that Israel could reduce U.S. military aid to zero within a decade. They discuss the implications of this announcement amid growing skepticism from both sides of the U.S. political spectrum regarding aid levels. The conversation unfolds around AIPAC's potential identity crisis if military funding diminishes, and the impact on Israel's security and defense strategy as it navigates a changing political landscape.

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INSIGHT

Netanyahu Frames Aid Cut As Israeli Maturity

Netanyahu announced phasing out $3.8B in U.S. military aid claiming Israel has 'come of age' economically and militarily.
The claim signals a political move to own the narrative as much as a substantive policy shift.

INSIGHT

Face-Saving Before 2028 Aid Negotiations

Ben Samuels says Netanyahu's statement is strategic face-saving ahead of 2028 memorandum talks with Trump.
Trump’s skepticism about foreign aid makes Israel’s proactive messaging politically necessary.

INSIGHT

Aid Mostly Fuels U.S. Defense Industry

Most U.S. military aid is spent buying American weapons, creating a transactional U.S.-Israel defense relationship.
Even without direct grants, Israel would remain symbiotically reliant on U.S. military support in crises.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped a bombshell in a recent interview when he declared he had told U.S. President Donald Trump that Israel no longer needed a long-term commitment from the U.S. for military aid, and that he planned to “taper off” the $3.8 billion Israel now receives to “zero” within ten years.

On the Haaretz Podcast, Washington correspondent Ben Samuels and senior defense analyst Amos Harel discuss the implications of Netanyahu’s announcement and the circumstances behind it.

Both say it is clear that Trump had signaled that aid would be significantly reduced, and that Netanyahu’s announcement was intended to avoid the appearance that the cuts were being forced on Israel.

“Netanyahu did not have much choice. I think this is something that Trump expected him to do,” Harel said. “It was bound to happen, and it was better for Netanyahu to appear as if he's the one who initiated it.”

Samuels noted that both Republicans and Democrats – for different reasons – were questioning the level of aid Israel receives, despite the fact that the majority of the billions in assistance are spent on weapons purchased from U.S. manufacturers.

Looking ahead, Samuels discussed potential “cognitive dissonance” for pro-Israel lobbying organizations like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as they grapple with a future in which substantial military aid will no longer be part of the equation of when it comes to U.S. support for the Jewish state.

“Supporters of AIPAC have treated military aid as this sacrosanct thing - saying that if you dare question it, then you are not only in support of endangering Israeli lives, but it makes you borderline antisemitic,” Samuels said. “How are they now going to just turn around and flip the script and say: ‘You know what? You're right. We don't need U.S. military assistance to Israel.’”

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