US envoy says America owes its existence to Israel; Netanyahu calls for ending US assistance

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has once again asserted that the United States owes its existence to Israel and the Jewish people, remarks that came just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to begin phasing out American financial assistance to Israel.

Speaking at the 2026 Herzliya Conference at Reichman University, Huckabee said America's foundations were rooted in the biblical tradition handed down to the Jewish people.

"It is the divine appointment of what God gave first to Moses on Mount Sinai," Huckabee said. He argued that without the Jewish people preserving and passing on those principles, "there would never have been in America," adding that the country's founders recognised those roots.

Huckabee also claimed that George Washington had acknowledged in his writings and speeches that America's origins could be traced to the "children of Abraham."

More from World

The latest comments are not the first time the US ambassador has made such a statement.

On June 18, while speaking at a settlement conference at Herodium National Park, Huckabee said, "Without Israel, the United States would not exist."

"It is your heritage, without a doubt, but it is also the heritage of the United States. Without Israel, without the Jewish foundation, there would not be America," he said.

Netanyahu seeks to end US aid

Huckabee's latest remarks were made hours after Netanyahu suggested that Israel should begin ending its dependence on American financial assistance.

"I want to stop American aid. It's like welfare; I don't want it," Netanyahu said.

He argued that Israel's economy has grown strong enough to finance itself without relying on US assistance.

"Our economy is no longer a small economy... We can finance ourselves this fraction of a percent of our GDP that we receive from the United States. I want this process to start this year," he said.

The comments signal a notable shift in Israel's approach to its long-standing security partnership with Washington, even as the US remains its closest strategic ally.

Growing differences between Washington and Jerusalem

The remarks come against the backdrop of increasing friction between the two allies following the US-brokered ceasefire with Iran that ended the recent conflict in West Asia.

Israeli leaders publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the agreement, with officials arguing that the deal did not put significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme.

The differences widened further after US Vice President JD Vance criticised Israeli ministers who opposed the US-Iran agreement.

Vance said President Donald Trump remained Israel's "only powerful ally" and accused some members of Netanyahu's cabinet of overreacting to the deal.

Israeli officials have argued that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding does not sufficiently address Tehran's nuclear programme, limit its ballistic missile capabilities or guarantee Israel's freedom to respond to threats from Hezbollah.

The latest statements by Huckabee and Netanyahu underscore a complex moment in US-Israel relations, where strong public expressions of mutual support are unfolding alongside growing policy disagreements.