Netanyahu warns end to US military aid ‘only matter of time’

Netanyahu warns of inevitable aid termination

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Friday that Israel must prepare for the termination of US military assistance worth tens of billions of dollars, describing the end of the decade-long aid agreement as inevitable given shifting political dynamics in Washington. Speaking to Israel's Channel 10 just days before Tuesday's parliamentary elections, Netanyahu said he had ordered preparations for potential economic and banking sanctions, including exploring alternative financial technologies to circumvent future restrictions.

"If you think we're going to continue receiving what I secured twice, and that's tens of billions of dollars in American aid for the defense budget, prepare yourselves and get used to the fact that it won't happen, because America has changed," he said, referring to mounting opposition in the US to the assistance in light of Israel's genocide in Gaza. "This is over, and it will end. It is only a matter of time."

Preparations for banking sanctions

Netanyahu gave no specific date for the cessation of assistance and announced no formal US decision to cut the funding, instead emphasizing the need for preemptive economic planning. On potential sanctions, he said Israel must develop alternative economic mechanisms to ensure continued financial stability.

"You have to understand that there could be sanctions, including banking sanctions. You need to prepare an economy that can get around them," he stated. Asked whether blockchain technology could offer an alternative for circumventing economic restrictions, Netanyahu replied: "Yes, that's one of the ways. And I've already asked for a plan to be prepared."

Opposition criticism ahead of polls

Opposition Democrats party leader Yair Golan criticized Netanyahu's remarks on social media platform X, accusing the prime minister of being detached from reality. He argued that preventing economic sanctions requires combating "Jewish terrorism" that damages Israel's international standing, preserving strategic alliances, and replacing the government in next week's election.

Golan called for a new government "without Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir and Deri," referring to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Shas party leader Aryeh Deri. Under a pact signed with Washington in 2016, Israel receives $38 billion in military assistance over a 10-year period set to end in 2028.