Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel aims to eventually end its reliance on U.S. financial military support within the next decade. The decision signals a long-term shift in the country’s defence policy as it seeks to deepen ties with Gulf states.
In an interview aired on CBS News’ "60 Minutes”, Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to “draw down to zero” the American financial component of military cooperation, adding that it is “absolutely” the right time to reset the relationship.
"I don't want to wait for the next Congress," he said.
“I want to start now,” Netanyahu said, noting that Israel receives around $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid under a $38 billion package covering the 2018-2028 period.
Netanyahu’s comments come amid a broader decline in U.S. public approval of Israel.
Sixty percent of U.S. adults have an unfavourable view of Israel, and 59% had little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs, according to a Pew survey conducted in March. Both percentages were up seven percentage points from a year earlier.
He linked the shift in sentiment partly to social media dynamics, saying online platforms had “correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media” in changing perceptions of Israel, and alleged that some countries had manipulated information flows.
However, he said he does not support censorship.
Netanyahu also addressed the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which escalated into war on 28 February when Israel and the United States launched military action against Tehran.
He said the conflict had revealed previously underestimated risks, including Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.
A significant share of global oil flows through the strait, and disruptions have contributed to volatility in energy markets since the war began.
Netanyahu declined to provide details on Israel’s military planning in Iran but suggested that weakening Tehran’s leadership could have far-reaching consequences for its regional allies.
“If this regime is indeed weakened or possibly toppled, I think it’s the end of Hezbollah, it’s the end of Hamas, it’s probably the end of the Houthis,” he said, referring to Iran-aligned armed groups across the Middle East.
He added that while regime change in Iran is possible, it is not guaranteed.
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Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade may be linked to travel in Uganda, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, although the source of infection remains unclear. Uganda maintains it has no cases of the disease.
Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
Two women from Austria and Switzerland have been freed after lengthy periods in captivity in Niger, following extensive diplomatic efforts to secure their release amid growing concerns over kidnappings in the Sahel region.
France has reported its first known human case of Shamonda virus following the death of an infected patient, authorities said on Thursday (22 October). The virus, typically found in livestock, is believed to have been transmitted by a biting midge.
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