Netanyahu says Israel must end reliance on US arms supplies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel should become less dependent on US military assistance and develop greater domestic weapons-production capacity, arguing that national security will increasingly hinge on self-reliance as the conflict with Iran and its regional proxies continues.

Speaking during a meeting with reserve combat officers in the West Bank’s Gush Etzion, Netanyahu praised long-standing US support but stressed the need for Israel to strengthen its own defence industry, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

“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,” Netanyahu said.

“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 previously signalled support for ending US military aid over the coming decade, but his latest comments come amid heightened tensions over Washington’s efforts to advance an agreement with Tehran, which Israel opposes.

“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,” he added.

US Vice President JD Vance said 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 have said that ongoing talks on a new 10-year security cooperation framework aim to “gradually transition” the arrangement “from aid to a completely reciprocal partnership.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev