Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, held at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem, regarding U.S. support, saying: "We want to move from support to cooperation. Our goal is to create an independent defense industry. Israel will help itself just as it fights by itself." He added that "as I said when I was first elected in '96, we will open the economy and thus be able to forgo the economic aid we received from the U.S."