Fact Check: Did Netanyahu say 'America is a golden calf and we will suck it dry'?

WASHINGTON, DC: In late February, as Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran, a quote attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resurfaced online.

As per the quote, he allegedly once said, "America is a golden calf, and we will suck it dry," implying that Israel will exploit the US. But is there any truth to this quote? Let us find out below.

Claim: Netanyahu said 'America is a golden calf and we will suck it dry'

An X user shared an old image of Benjamin Netanyahu that also had texts on the side of the picture that read, "America is a golden calf and we will suck it dry, chop it up, and sell it piece by piece until there is nothing left but the world's biggest welfare state that we will create and control... This is what we do to countries that we hate."

The alleged quote has circulated since 2017 on social media platforms such as X and Reddit. Some versions of the claim also allege that Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments in 1990. 

Interestingly, the US-Israel relationship is one of the most strategically aligned bilateral partnerships in the world, which is characterized by deep military, intelligence, economic, and technological cooperation. 

As of March 2026, the alliance is at an intense and active phase under the second Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The relationship reached a peak of operational coordination with the launch of 'Operation Epic Fury' and 'Operation Roaring Lion' last month.

Fact Check: False, no credible evidence to back the claim

The claim made in viral social media posts is false, as there is no evidence that Netanyahu made the remarks in 1990 or at any other time. The rumor originated in mid 2010s from an article.

Interestingly, Netanyahu did not become Israel's Prime Minister until 1996, six years after he supposedly made the remarks shared online. 

The alleged quote, which appeared on other social media posts, read, "If we get caught, they will just replace us with persons of the same cloth. So it does not matter what you do, America is a golden calf and we will suck it dry, chop it up, and sell it off piece by piece until there is nothing left but the world's biggest welfare state that we will create and control." 

"Why? Because it is the will of God, and America is big enough to take the hit so we can do it again and again and again. This is what we do to countries that we hate. We destroy them very slowly and make them suffer for refusing to be our slaves," it further mentioned.