Israel seeking 20-year ‘America-first’ security agreement with US — report

Israel is angling for a 20-year security agreement with the US with “America first” elements, Axios reports, citing Israeli and US officials.

The current 10-year memorandum of understanding between the two countries — the third such agreement signed — expires in 2028. It includes around $4 billion of aid to Israel.

With growing skepticism around foreign aid, including to Israel, in the Republican Party, the next MOU faces challenges that the previous ones did not.

Discussions on the next MOU began in recent weeks, according to the report, after a long delay because of the war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel proposed a 20-year deal that would end on the country’s centennial in 2048, and the use of some of the funds for joint R&D, according to Axios.

“This is out-of-the-box thinking,” an Israeli official tells Axios. “We want to change the way we handled past agreements and put more emphasis on US-Israel cooperation. The Americans like this idea.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies the report in an interview with Australian TV host Erin Molan. “I don’t know what they’re talking about. My direction is the exact opposite,” he insists.

“I think it’s time to ensure that Israel is independent,” he continues. “Understand that our military aid is like a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of what the US spent in Afghanistan or spent in the Middle East. It’s tiny. But I think that we have a very strong economy. We have a very strong arms industry. It’s true that even though we get what we get, which we appreciate, 80% of that is spent in the United States. It produces jobs in the United States. But nevertheless, I’d like to see a much more independent Israeli, an even more independent Israeli defense industry.”

Trump has referred publicly to the billions in aid given to Israel in both of his terms. In 2018, he dismissed concerns that pulling US troops out of Syria could endanger Israel. “You know, we give Israel $4.5 billion a year. And they’re doing very well defending themselves, if you take a look,” he said.

During a rocky White House visit in April, Trump brought it up again as Netanyahu listened beside him: “Don’t forget, we help Israel a lot. We give Israel $4 billion a year, that’s a lot.”