A recent opinion piece argued: Israel is a wealthy country, so why should the United States continue sending it billions in financial assistance? This argument reduces American foreign policy, and global leadership, to a balance sheet and wrongly equates long-term security and military assistance with humanitarian assistance given to low-income countries. But most importantly, this argument ignores the simple fact that this security assistance is not charity — it is in our short- and long-term strategic interests, and that is why U.S. aid to Israel remains vital.
U.S. aid to Israel is codified in a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Obama Administration in 2016. It reflects a consistent, bipartisan belief that Israel’s security is a cornerstone of regional stability and U.S. interests in the Middle East.
Israel is a democracy in a region dominated by autocracies and terror groups. It shares America’s values — and its enemies. From Iran and its proxies, Israel faces real-world existential threats, which are simultaneously threats to America and global stability. Supporting Israel’s defense and deterrence capabilities helps prevent conflict and limits the chances that American troops will ever have to be involved in a wider regional war.
U.S. security assistance also helps save lives. The Iron Dome missile defense system, co-developed with U.S. support, has intercepted thousands of rockets launched indiscriminately at Israeli cities. These rockets target civilians — Jews and Arabs alike — including tens of thousands of American citizens. Iron Dome helps avoid broader escalation and war.
Some suggest that reducing or further conditioning aid would free the U.S. from involvement in the complexities of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. But America has a vital leadership role to play and abandoning that role won’t improve conditions for Palestinians — it will embolden Hamas, Iran, and other adversaries while removing America from any meaningful role in hostage negotiations, regional integration, or peacemaking.
The enduring relationship between the United States and Israel is grounded in both democratic values and aligned strategic interests.
Finally, let’s not ignore the politics. Mainstream, pro-Israel candidates consistently outperform those who take an adversarial stance to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Voters across the spectrum — especially in swing districts — understand that supporting a democratic ally in a dangerous neighborhood is both the right and smart thing to do.
It is clear that American voters are, at times, skeptical of foreign aid or writing blank checks. Every taxpayer dollar that is spent should rightly be evaluated for how it benefits America and the American people. The security assistance provided to Israel does just that. Every dollar spent to help ensure Israel can defend itself by itself is also a dollar spent to bolster counterterrorism, protect our homeland, and keep our brave service members from having to fight more wars in the Middle East.