Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first world leaders to congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump last month on his victory, calling it “the greatest reversal in history.”
This message sent a strong political signal to the world that Israel intends to strengthen its Middle East diplomacy with Trump back on board.
It’s no secret that Israel has always cheered Trump’s victory as a harbinger of smoother relations between Washington and Jerusalem as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weathers one of the Middle East’s toughest and longest conflicts.
During his first term as president (2016-2020), Trump broke international norms and recognized the sovereignty of Israel and the Golan Heights, the Syrian territory that is largely occupied by Israel.
He also took the historic step of declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. embassy there.
However, during President Trump’s second term, he has been plagued by the long-running war between Israel and Hamas, for which he directly blames the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden.
Dealing with the situation in the Middle East, especially since more than 40,000 people have already been killed in Gaza alone since last year (see graph), will require Trump to use smart diplomacy rather than just talk.
While Trump 2.0 signals continued U.S.-Israel relations, the new U.S. president will have to ensure he finds a promised peaceful resolution to the conflict and address growing anti-war sentiment and military aid sentiment, especially among young people. . American.
US aid to Israel
Israel has long been the single largest recipient of American military aid.
Despite the lack of a formal military agreement with Israel, the United States provides the Jewish state with advanced weapons systems to fend off persistent threats from neighboring countries such as Syria and Lebanon and from groups like Hamas. It has been useful.
The United States has provided approximately $228 billion (see chart) in military aid to Israel since 1946, according to data from various sources cited by the U.S.-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). This does not include financial aid of approximately $82.
The United States has also sanctioned large sums of military aid to countries such as Afghanistan and Egypt, but Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of foreign aid since its founding.
Since Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, the United States has provided at least $12.5 billion to $17.9 billion in military aid to the Jewish state. This includes funding for arms replenishment and appropriation under the 2024 agreement.
In all, there have been nearly 100 transfers of military aid to Israel, including the expedited delivery of weapons from U.S. stockpiles in Israel and the lease of Iron Dome batteries. .
According to the CFR report, nearly $3.3 billion annually in U.S. aid to Israel is provided in grants under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, primarily for the purchase of U.S. military equipment.
As of October 2023, Israel controls $24 billion in active FMF cases, and US aid covers about 15% of the defense budget, although domestic procurement benefits are being phased out It is planned that
In addition, Washington also allocates $500 million annually to the joint U.S.-Israel missile defense program, which includes the Iron Dome, David Sling, and Arrow II systems.
Over the years, U.S. arms sales to Israel totaled nearly $55 billion (see chart). This is the second largest country after Saudi Arabia.
Indeed, the scale of US arms sales to Israel has often raised concerns about war profiteering among many Americans.
anti-war sentiment
Remarkably, recent polls reveal a wide generational divide in how Americans view Washington’s military aid to Israel.
Data collected by Pew Research shows that support is strongest among those 65 and older, but falls significantly among younger people between 18 and 29.
The survey found that nearly 45% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 oppose U.S. military aid to Israel. Meanwhile, nearly 60% of Americans 65 and older show similar support.
According to a Pew Research survey, nearly 61% of Americans want the United States to play a key role in a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Hamas war. This reflects general anti-war sentiment among the American public.
A separate survey by Pearson and the Associated Press found that nearly four in 10 Americans feel the United States spends too much on military aid to Israel.
This means that President Trump will need to take swift steps to put a visible peace plan in place once he returns to the Oval Office. Furthermore, the expansion of US military aid to Israel will also be a blow to the Trump administration, which has become increasingly protectionist and fiscally conservative.
