FT: Israel prepares for talks with Trump on new 10-year security deal

Israel is preparing to negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump on a new decade-long security agreement aimed at extending American military support, the Financial Times reports.

Gil Pinchas, speaking to the FT before stepping down as chief financial adviser to Israel's military and defence ministry, said Israel would seek to prioritise joint military and defence projects over cash handouts in talks that he expected to take place in the coming weeks.

"The partnership is more important than just the net financial issue in this context  ... there are a lot of things that are equal to money," Pinchas told the FT. "The view of this needs to be wider."

The current memorandum of understanding on mutual assistance between Israel and the United States runs until 2028. Under this agreement, the U.S. is to provide Israel with $38 billion in military aid over the 2019–2028 financial years.

Discussions are now underway on the format of support for the following years. The newspaper notes that Israeli authorities are preparing for a future without U.S. grants worth billions of dollars and plan to emphasise joint projects and technological cooperation.

In a January interview with The Economist, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intends to “taper off” its dependence on U.S. aid over the next decade. "I want to taper off the military within the next 10 years," Netanyahu said. Asked if that meant a tapering "down to zero," he said: "Yes." He also suggested that Israel may not seek a full renewal of the $38 billion military assistance package.

By Khagan Isayev