JERUSALEM, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday issued its first response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington will end its annual military aid to Israel, saying that Israel and the United States agreed to move from military aid to partnership.
“U.S. military aid to Israel has always been a cross-the-aisle agreement,” Netanyahu said in the statement. “Israel has used it both to defend itself and to confront enemies who threaten America and the West.”
He added that today, Israel has a strong, stable economy, and his joint move with Trump from aid to partnership “shows the strength and sophistication of our relationship, and its ability to adapt and stand strong over time.”
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said, “We were giving them 4 billion (U.S.) dollars … but it gets cut off at the end of the year.” He added that “Israel’s our number one. We give them more than anybody else, and they no longer need it.”
Trump also clarified that the 4 billion dollars referred to military equipment or cash, reiterating that the assistance could be defined in different ways.
