Benjamin Netanyahu supports GOP push to phase out US military aid to Israel

WASHINGTON, DC: A group of House Republicans has introduced a resolution calling for the gradual phaseout of US military aid to Israel, with supporters arguing that the longtime allies should transition toward a partnership based on trade, joint defense projects, and technological cooperation rather than direct financial assistance.

The proposal has received backing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told lawmakers that the time has come for Israel to move from being an aid recipient to becoming a strategic partner.

Netanyahu says Israel is ready to move from aid recipient to partner

The nonbinding resolution was sponsored by Indiana Rep Marlin Stutzman and Arizona Rep Abe Hamadeh.

It urges Washington and Jerusalem to strike a new agreement to gradually replace direct military assistance with greater cooperation in defense, technology, trade and investment.

According to Stutzman, the proposal reflects Israel's growing economic strength and the changing nature of the US-Israel relationship.

"The idea is to take the relationship between two great allies, the United States and Israel, to a more mature relationship with a trade agreement, a defense agreement, rather than supplemental aid from the United States to Israel," Stutzman said.

Under the proposal, direct military assistance would be gradually phased out and replaced by a framework centered on joint defense cooperation, co-development, co-production, and mutual investment.

The congressman said Netanyahu expressed support for the initiative during a recent meeting in Jerusalem and later reinforced that position in a letter.

"The time has now arrived for us to move from aid recipient to partner," Netanyahu wrote.

The Indiana congressman said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had provided him with a letter expressing support for the proposal following a meeting last month in Israel between the two.

The Israeli prime minister was reported to have said that Israel's booming economy, growing population, and technological development were reasons why the country was ready for a more self-sufficient role while remaining close to Washington.

Israel’s economy is nearing a trillion dollars in gross domestic product, and the strength of the country allows the alliance to move beyond traditional aid arrangements, Stutzman said.

Republicans pitch 'aid to trade' model for next phase of alliance

Supporters of the resolution describe the proposal as a shift from what they call an aid-based relationship to one built on shared strategic interests and joint innovation.

“Israel deeply appreciates the financial component of the military aid the United States has generously provided us over the years,” Netanyahu wrote. “The time has now arrived for us to move from aid recipient to partner.”

Netanyahu added that he was encouraged by the proposal’s call for a new framework of “joint defense cooperation, codevelopment, coproduction and mutual investment in areas including advanced missile defense, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, cybersecurity and next generation military platforms.”

Under the plan, future cooperation would focus on areas such as missile defense, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, unmanned systems and advanced military technology.

“The idea is to take the relationship between two great allies, the United States and Israel, to a more mature relationship with a trade agreement, a defense agreement, rather than supplemental aid from the United States to Israel,” Stutzman told the Jerusalem Post.

Recalling his recent meeting with Netanyahu, Stutzman said the prime minister emphasized that Israel’s economy is approaching $1 trillion in gross domestic product and that the country is increasingly capable of standing on its own.

“Israel is a superpower in the Middle East,” Stutzman said. “I can’t think of a greater ally to the United States than Israel.”