Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he wants Israel to begin phasing out American financial assistance, arguing the country’s economy is now strong enough to support itself without U.S. aid.
“Our economy is no longer a small economy… we can finance ourselves this fraction of a percent of our GDP that we receive from the United States. I want this process to start this year,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister made the comments while outlining his government’s positions on national security, Gaza, the Palestinian issue, Iran, and Lebanon.
Netanyahu said Israel would continue pursuing an active security strategy rather than relying solely on defensive measures. Addressing Lebanon, Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain deployed as long as Hezbollah is viewed as a security threat.
