Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he wants to end American financial aid to Israel, arguing that the country’s economy is now strong enough to sustain itself without US assistance.
“I want to stop American aid. It’s like welfare; I don’t want it,” Netanyahu said.
“Our economy is no longer a small economy… we can finance ourselves this fraction of a per cent of our GDP that we receive from the United States. I want this process to start this year,” he added.
Netanyahu made the remarks while also outlining his government’s position on security, the Palestinian issue, Gaza, Iran and Lebanon.
Reiterating his stance on Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu said, “Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. No Palestinian state will be established here.”
He also said Israel would continue to pursue an active security policy.
“We will pursue an active security policy—we won’t sit back and wait behind fences.”
Commenting on the possibility of rebuilding Israeli settlements in Gaza, Netanyahu said, “As for rebuilding settlements in Gaza, you have to be ready to act first and talk afterward. Sometimes it’s better to separate the two. That’s why I’m not going to add anything further on that subject.”
On broader state policy, Netanyahu added, “You have to understand that the art of statecraft isn’t limited to domestic politics. I don’t have to declare everything to the whole world at every moment.”
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Referring to Israel’s military actions against Iran, Netanyahu said, “We entered Iran twice to save ourselves from destruction. There will be a third time if necessary.”
Israeli Forces To Remain In Lebanon: Netanyahu
Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain deployed in Lebanon as long as they considered Hezbollah a threat.
“We didn’t leave Lebanon. We have effectively established this security belt—about 10 kilometers inside Lebanon—with the agreement of the Lebanese government. And of course, Hezbollah is outraged. The same is true of Iran,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu visited Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and said the country’s forces would remain there until the threat from Iran-backed Hezbollah had disappeared.
“Our position is clear: we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat has disappeared. And as long as Hezbollah, armed, is here and threatening us, we will stay here,” he said, according to a statement from his office.
His remarks came days after Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored framework agreement aimed at paving the way for peace and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Under the agreement, any Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory is conditional on Beirut creating “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese military would take over from Hezbollah.
