Rubio: "Israel is wealthy enough to purchase American weapons without U.S. funding"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Israel is wealthy enough to purchase American weapons without U.S. funding, and that the Israelis themselves proposed the move. When asked if Israel is ready for the change as early as 2027, he answered in the affirmative.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel has reached a level of economic prosperity that allows it to purchase weapons from the United States without American funding. According to him, Israel itself proposed switching to a format where it would continue to buy American weapons but finance the purchases from its own funds. When asked if Israel is ready for the change as early as 2027, he answered in the affirmative. His remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on November 3 his intention to end annual security assistance to Israel starting in 2027, amounting to about four billion dollars per year. Trump claimed he discussed the move with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that Israel is capable of financing its own security purchases.