Don't Be Fooled: President Harris Would Keep On Arming Israel

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Although an arms embargo is unrealistic, there are other things short of an arms embargo, like conditioning or restricting military aid, which are more realistic – and there is a growing debate among Democratic lawmakers over that.

What are some of the ways that US aid to Israel helps the US domestically?

When the US gives military aid to Israel , the Israeli government is not putting that money in its pocket. The vast majority of the money that the U S allocates to Israel each year must be spent on American weapons . That is true, in general, for American military aid to other countries, such as Ukraine .

Those American weapons that Israel purchases are produced in factories across the US. So, many American lawmakers have an interest in sustaining that aid because that money ends up flowing into their own states and providing local jobs.

What has US aid to Israel historically been like, before the Gaza war?

Historically, Israel has received more US foreign aid than any other country. In total, the US has provided Israel with over US$300 billion , with this amount adjusted for inflation.

Initially, for the first decade after Israel's establishment in 1948, the US provided Israel with only economic aid , but, starting in the 1960s during the Kennedy administration, it began providing military aid as well. The US now gives only military aid to Israel.

After Israel's victory in the Six-Day War of 1967 , when Israel demonstrated its ability to decisively defeat Soviet allies in the region, the US significantly increased its military aid to Israel. This was a turning point in many ways for the US-Israel relationship, because since then the US has seen Israel as a valuable ally.

Another major increase in US military aid to Israel occurred under the Nixon administration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This is worth noting because Nixon was not a great friend of Jewish people . But he increased US aid to Israel because of its strategic interest to the US.

Since then, US military aid has continued to steadily increase over the years , and in the past year it has risen following Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza.

I think the primary reason for this continuous military assistance to Israel, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, is that it serves US national interests.

How does US aid to Israel serve America's national interests?

A militarily strong Israel helps the US counter their common enemies.

During the Cold War, Israel helped contain the spread of Soviet influence in the Middle East. For example, after Israel defeated Egypt in the 1967 and 1973 wars, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat defected from a Soviet alliance to ally with the U S, ushering in a long period of American hegemony in the region.

After the Soviet threat receded after the Cold War, Israel's strategic value to the US diminished. But it rose again following the 9/11 terrorist attacks because of Israel's long experience in counterterrorism and its vaunted intelligence-gathering capabilities .