How Israel’s exit from US aid signals wider decline in Washington’s alliances

Israel’s efforts to phase out American military aid signal the decline of US alliances under the demands of Washington’s “America first” position, according to a prominent Chinese international relations analyst.

Zhu Zhaoyi, executive director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at Peking University HSBC Business School, wrote in a commentary published on Monday that factors such as rising financial pressures had fuelled an “America first” approach that demanded Washington’s allies shoulder more of their own security costs.

The commentary was published by the Greater Bay Area Review, a social media account launched by the Institute for International Affairs, Qianhai (IIA) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and the Centre for China Studies (CCS) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“Israel’s effort to ‘wean itself off’ American aid fits neatly into this broader trend – a challenge that Nato members, Japan, South Korea, and Gulf states may all eventually face,” Zhu wrote.

The US and Israel on June 5 began negotiations on a successor to the current memorandum of understanding (MOU) governing American military aid to Israel.

The negotiations were launched following comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advocating a gradual phase-out of US aid.