Israel Seeks New Security Agreement with the United States

SadaNews - Israel is preparing to hold talks with the United States regarding a new 10-year security agreement, according to the British newspaper "Financial Times."

The aim of the talks is to extend U.S. military support for Israel, despite its leaders discussing plans for a future with reduced U.S. financial support.

Gil Pinhas, before resigning from his position as a financial advisor to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, stated that Israel would seek to prioritize joint military and defense projects at the expense of cash aid, in talks expected to take place within weeks.

The U.S. State Department has not immediately responded to a request from "Reuters" for comment.

Pinhas told the "Financial Times": "Partnership is more important than just the financing issue in this context. There are many things that are comparable to money. The view of this matter should be broader."

Pinhas mentioned that the direct financial support estimated at approximately $3.3 billion annually, which Israel can use to purchase American weapons, is "one of the items in the memorandum of understanding that can be gradually reduced."

In 2016, the governments of the two countries signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding, which ends in September 2028, stipulating the provision of $38 billion in military aid.

The aid varies between $33 billion in grants for purchasing military equipment and $5 billion for missile defense systems.

Earlier this January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he hopes to "gradually reduce" Israel's dependence on U.S. military aid over the next decade.