Israel Seeks New 20-Year Security Agreement with U.S. Amid Changing Political Landscape

Israel is actively pursuing a new security agreement with the United States that would extend over 20 years, effectively doubling the length of previous accords. This initiative aims to secure potential support from the Trump administration.

According to informed sources from both Israel and the U.S., reported by Axios, the proposed agreement includes modifications that would ensure direct benefits for the U.S. military.

This effort is part of Israel's strategy to maintain support from President Donald Trump's administration, with proposals aligning closely with the "America First" slogan.

The push for a new agreement comes as Israel faces a decline in influence in Washington, partly due to widespread criticism of its actions during the Gaza conflict and increasing opposition to foreign aid within Trump's base, particularly the MAGA movement.

The previous agreement, signed in 2016 under President Barack Obama and set to expire in 2028, provided Israel with approximately $4 billion in military aid annually. Israel is expected to request the same amount or more in the new agreement, but sources indicate that negotiations may be more complex this time due to rising discontent with Israel even among Republican circles.

In response to these challenges, Israel has proposed innovative ideas, as described by an Israeli official, including extending the agreement's duration to 20 years, coinciding with the centennial of Israel's independence in 2048. Additionally, they suggest reallocating some military aid towards joint U.S.-Israeli research in critical areas such as defense technologies, military artificial intelligence, and the Iron Dome project.

This approach is presented as a way to ensure direct benefits for the U.S. military, aligning with the "America First" policy. The Israeli official remarked, "These are out-of-the-box ideas. We want to change the model of previous agreements and strengthen U.S.-Israel cooperation. Americans appreciate this idea."

Negotiations resumed recently after being delayed for months due to the Gaza conflict, but sources indicate that progress is slow due to political and technical complications, including bipartisan criticism of Israel's performance in Gaza and growing opposition to substantial foreign funding.

While Congress and the Biden administration have approved a multi-billion-dollar emergency aid package for Israel in 2024 beyond the existing agreement, Israeli officials anticipate that the next round of negotiations will be more challenging, especially given the previous Trump administration's track record of reducing foreign aid.

The White House has declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.

Historically, Israel has secured three major ten-year security agreements in 1998 (valued at $21.3 billion), 2008 (valued at $32 billion), and 2016 (valued at $38 billion).