US-Israel Defense Funding Shift
GOP Lawmakers Introduce Resolution for Israel to Pay US for Weapons, Shifting Aid to Partnership
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Two Republican lawmakers have introduced a resolution to end direct U.S. military aid to Israel and make the country pay for its own weapons. The proposal, introduced June 3 by Reps. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) and Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ), would replace the current grant model with a commercial defense partnership — a shift Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly endorsed, saying "I like it... This is the direction I've been wanting to go for a long time," according to The Washington Post.
The U.S. currently sends Israel $3.8 billion per year in military aid under a 10-year deal running through 2028. That money goes mostly to U.S. defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The new resolution would end that grant system and require Israel to fund its own purchases directly.
Netanyahu Helped Draft the Plan to Cut His Own Aid
The resolution traces back to a May 27 meeting in Jerusalem. Stutzman and Hamadeh sat with Netanyahu for 45 minutes. Stutzman presented the draft resolution, and Netanyahu backed it on the spot, according to The Washington Post. Netanyahu also sent a formal letter of support when the bill was officially introduced on June 3.
Netanyahu had already signaled the shift publicly. On May 10, he told CBS News he wanted Israel to "wean" itself from U.S. military support. His goal: remove U.S. political leverage over Israeli military decisions. Under the current aid model, Washington can — and did under the Biden administration — pause weapons shipments as pressure during conflicts.
Stutzman Says the Bill Fights Anti-Israel Sentiment at Home
Rep. Stutzman frames the resolution as a political fix, not just a budget move. He argues that casting Israel as a recipient of U.S. handouts fuels anti-Israel feeling in America. A Spring 2026 Pew Research poll found 60% of Americans now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% in 2025. Among Republicans under 50, that number is 57%, according to The Washington Post.
Rep. Hamadeh called the resolution the start of "the next bold chapter in the U.S.-Israel relationship" — a "partnership of equals" rather than a donor-recipient arrangement. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) praised the concept, saying it showed Israel "coming of age," according to the Washington Examiner.
Israel Plans $119 Billion Weapons Buildup to Replace U.S. Grants
Israel is not planning to go without weapons — it plans to buy more of them. Netanyahu has announced a $119 billion long-term investment in Israel's own weapons systems, according to Al Jazeera. Israel's economy has grown significantly since the original aid framework was built in the 1970s, and proponents say the country can now fund its own defense.
The current 10-year deal is worth $38 billion in total. Under the new model, Israel would spend its own money with U.S. defense firms instead of receiving grants routed through them. U.S. defense jobs would be protected — the financial burden simply shifts from American taxpayers to the Israeli government.
Critics Warn of Deeper Military Ties Hidden Inside the Deal
Not everyone sees this as a clean break. The 2027 National Defense Authorization Act includes Section 224, a provision that would create a new Pentagon office to sync U.S. and Israeli military technology — covering AI, quantum computing, and missile defense. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) are pushing to strip that provision, according to Military.com.
Critics from the left argue the plan is a "shell game." The IMEU Policy Project contends that replacing grants with co-development actually ties the two militaries together more permanently — making Israeli tech part of the U.S. supply chain and making it nearly impossible for future administrations to sanction Israel over human rights issues, according to reporting by The New Republic.
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