Netanyahu backs GOP effort to end U.S. military aid to Israel – WaPo
Inside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem last week, U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Indiana) handed him a short stack of papers outlining a proposal that would effectively end the United States providing military aid to Israel for free.
“I like it,” Netanyahu said after reviewing the draft House resolution, according to Stutzman. “This is the direction I’ve been wanting to go for a long time.” He added, “We want to stand on our own feet” during the roughly 45-minute May 27 meeting, which also included Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-Arizona).
A week later, and with Netanyahu’s support, Stutzman said he will introduce a resolution Wednesday calling for a new U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding that would end the $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel and instead require Israel to finance its own purchases of American weapons. The resolution is not binding and has not been previously reported, nor has Netanyahu’s supporting letter.
The current 10-year U.S.-Israel memorandum includes $38 billion in direct military aid and is set to expire in 2028. While details are still being discussed within Trump administration national security circles, Israel could still benefit through other channels, including a provision under consideration in the National Defense Authorization Act that would deepen U.S.-Israel cooperation on weapons production and technology systems.
Stutzman’s effort is the first of its kind in Congress and notable given his strong ties to Israel and Netanyahu. It reflects a broader shift, even among some Republicans, questioning long-standing direct U.S. aid to Israel and responding to concerns that American taxpayers are funding Israel’s wars. Stutzman also cited rising antisemitism in the U.S., saying the approach would not solve it but could be part of the response.
He said the goal, with Netanyahu’s backing, is to show “the rest of the world that Israel is not just leaning on America,” adding that the relationship is “changing and growing,” and would look different going forward. He also said many taxpayers question why Israel receives $3.8 billion annually and do not understand the full arrangement.
On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on social media that a “New MOU w/ Israel ends aid & will be based on trade,” responding to criticism from Joe Kent, former director of President Donald Trump’s National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned earlier this year and said the Iran war began due to pressure from Israel and its U.S. supporters.
In a letter to Stutzman, Netanyahu expressed appreciation for U.S. military aid and said “the time has now arrived for us to move from aid recipient to partner.”
Stutzman said he has discussed the effort with the White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), senators, and groups including AIPAC, adding the response has been “very much an openness to the dialogue.”
