A look at the history of U.S. aid to Israel
A look at the history of U.S. aid to Israel
The House of Representatives has yet to consider President Joe Biden’s request for more than $105 billion in foreign aid since there’s speaker of the House. The funding request includes $14 billion for Israel as the country’s war with Hamas continues.
The U.S. has given Israel $158 billion since Israel was founded, not adjusting for inflation, according to the Congressional Research Service. That makes Israel one of the biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid since World War II.
The U.S. and Israel have developed things like the Iron Dome air defense system together, per Brian Katulis at the Middle East Institute.
“So it’s very much interlinked and they’re joint projects,” he said.
The U.S. always puts restrictions on aid to prevent human rights abuses, explained Katulis. On a call with reporters previewing last week’s foreign aid request, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that all U.S. arms transfers to Israel are “rooted in the basic proposition they’ll be used consistent with the law of armed conflict.”
But Katulis noted that it’s hard to police aid. “OK, how are they going to then try to enforce that and use this as leverage in a way that doesn’t undermine the mission?”
Katulis added that any U.S. ally receiving aid has its own agenda and that U.S. officials may not have as much leverage as they think.
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