From: Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Subject: Fwd: The Cradle: "Israel to enter talks for new 10-year 'security deal' with Washington: Report." (1/27/26.)
To: <salon@listserve.com>
Israel to enter talks for new 10-year 'security deal' with Washington: Report
A former official said the potential new agreement aims to ‘prioritize’ joint military and defense projects over ‘cash handouts’
The Israeli government is preparing to enter negotiations for a new 10-year security agreement with the US aimed at extending Washington’s military support for Tel Aviv.
Gil Pinchas, the former chief financial advisor to the Israeli army – who stepped down from his role this week – told Financial Times (FT) that Israel aims to “prioritize” joint military and defense projects with the US over “cash handouts.”
Pinchas said he expects the talks to take place in the coming weeks.
“The partnership is more important than just the net financial issue in this context … there are a lot of things that are equal to money. The view of this needs to be wider,” he added.
Israel’s ten-year memorandum of understanding with the US is set to expire in two years. It has received nearly $4 billion from Washington per year under this deal.
This “free money” is “one component of the MOU [that] could decrease gradually.”
The current agreement also includes hundreds of millions of dollars per year for joint projects, such as the Iron Dome and other air defense systems that intercept rockets, missiles, and drones.
Israel will aim to discuss “current and future joint development projects for military systems that could continue on an ad hoc basis, and not necessarily as part of a new decade-long deal agreed in advance,” the official went on to say.
“You put money and they put money and you both win. We need to see what the American side says.”
According to Pinchas, US air defense systems and warplanes deployed across West Asia to protect Israel are “examples” of US aid that “go beyond” the current US-Israel deal, and are worth “many billions more.”
The report comes as Israel is on high alert over US threats to attack Iran and a potential retaliation from the Islamic Republic.
The US has deployed an aircraft carrier, additional squadrons of fighter jets, and other assets toward the region in a massive military buildup which many have described as a prelude to an upcoming war against Iran.
It also comes just a few weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv hopes to "taper off" its dependence on US military aid in the next decade.
Netanyahu said Israel should not be reliant on foreign military aid, but did not specify a date for complete independence from the US.
"I want to taper off the military within the next 10 years," Netanyahu stated. When asked if that meant a tapering "down to zero," he said, "Yes."
Earlier this month, Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited US documents as saying that Washington may bankroll the construction of a new Israeli armored vehicle plant with up to $2 billion from military aid funds.
The project was initially set to cost $1.5 billion. In August last year, the Jerusalem Post reported that none of the announcements related to the project included foreign funding.
This would increase Washington’s annual aid to Israel from $3.8 billion. Aside from the annual aid, the US has provided Israel with $21.7 billion in direct military assistance since the start of the Gaza genocide.