Israel must free itself of dependence on US arms, says Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel needs to be “free” from military dependence on the United States and develop its own weapons-production capabilities, adding that this is needed to support the ongoing fight with “Iran and its proxies”, The Times of Israel reported.

Speaking during a meeting with reserve combat officers, Netanyahu said: “I greatly appreciate the support we have received — and that I have secured over the years — from our American friends. But today I say: We need our own independent weapons-production system. We must manufacture our own armaments.

“We are now confronting Iran and its proxies. We have struck them hard. It is not over yet, but it depends on our strength. Where we will be in 30 years depends on our strength. That is why what we are doing now is building even greater strength,” the premier said, adding that he wants Israel “to have an independent armaments capability.”

Netanyahu has vowed for months to end US military aid to Israel over the next decade, but today’s remarks come at a particularly tense moment, amid increasing concern in Jerusalem over the US placing limitations on its freedom of action as Washington continues to advance an agreement with Tehran that Israel largely opposes, according to The Times of Israel.

“We need to free ourselves from dependence, continue building more and more strength, incorporate more and more technology, and train more and more generations of commanders like you — because ultimately that is what will determine our position,” Netanyahu added.

US Vice President JD Vance remarked in a press conference last week that in recent months, “two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected [Israel]” were US-made and funded by American tax dollars.

US and Israeli officials say that recently begun talks on a new 10-year US-Israel security cooperation framework seek to “gradually transition” the framework “from aid to a completely reciprocal partnership.”