Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to “draw down to zero the American financial support” that Israel receives for its military in an interview with CBS News.
“We receive $3.8 billion a year. And I think that it’s time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support,” he told the news outlet.
Asked for a timeline, Netanyahu said “let’s start now and do it over the next decade.”
“I don’t want to wait for the next Congress,” he said.
This comes as the Americans’ views of Israel are continuing to turn more negative, according to Pew Research Center, which found that 60% of U.S. adults have an unfavorable view of Israel, an increase of 53% from last year. About 59% said they have “little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs.”
This poll was taken a month into the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran, and almost three years after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In both cases, Israel has been accused of breaking international law. Human rights groups have also said Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel has denied.
