Axios: Israel seeks 20-year defence pact with US

Israel is pursuing a new 20-year security agreement with the United States, double the length of previous deals, and proposing changes designed to align with the Trump administration’s “America First” priorities, according to Israeli and US officials cited by Axios.

The current 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2016 under President Barack Obama, provides Israel with about $4 billion in annual military aid and expires in 2028. Israel hopes to finalise the new deal within the next year, though negotiations are expected to be more politically fraught due to growing frustration with Israel’s conduct in Gaza and opposition to foreign aid among parts of Donald Trump’s MAGA base.

The talks follow decades of US-Israel defence cooperation through three 10-year agreements and additional emergency funding approved during the 2024 Gaza war. Israeli officials are seeking an increase in annual assistance but acknowledge the challenge of securing support amid shifting US politics.

President Trump highlighted the scale of US aid during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in April, saying, “We give Israel $4 billion a year. That’s a lot. Congratulations, by the way. That’s pretty good. But we give Israel billions of dollars a year, billions.”

Initial discussions on the new deal began recently after being delayed by the war. Israeli negotiators have proposed extending the agreement to 20 years and allowing part of the funding to go toward joint US-Israeli research and development in defence technology, AI, and missile defence.

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

The White House declined to comment on the talks.

By Sabina Mammadli