What Every American Should Know About U.S. Aid to Israel

As the current 10-year U.S.-Israel security agreement approaches its 2028 expiration, Washington and Jerusalem have launched formal negotiations on a new security cooperation framework. While the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has provided nearly $4 billion annually in security assistance, both countries are exploring a next-generation partnership that would strengthen Israel's Qualitative Military Edge through expanded joint research, development, defense manufacturing, and advanced technologies—while potentially shifting away from traditional military aid over time.

U.S. security assistance serves two main purposes: bolstering a key ally's defense capabilities against shared threats and advancing American strategic interests in one of the world's most volatile regions. That partnership has taken on even greater significance following Hamas' October 7, 2023 terrorist attack, direct military confrontations between Israel and Iran, and the growing role of Iranian-backed terrorist groups across the Middle East.

“Israel's security has been a cornerstone of American foreign policy since the establishment of the modern Jewish state in 1948, said Julie Rayman, AJC’s Senior Vice President of Policy and  Political Affairs. “The U.S.- Israel special relationship is based not just in shared values but in vital partnership in combating threats to democracy and security both regionally and globally.”

How much security assistance does the United States actually provide to Israel, and how could that relationship evolve in the years ahead? Why has the partnership remained a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for decades? And how does the United States ensure that the weapons it provides to allies are used consistent with American law and values? Below are the answers to these questions and more.

Key Takeways

• U.S. aid helps Israel defend itself while advancing American security interests. 
• The next U.S.-Israel security agreement is expected to prioritize joint defense innovation over traditional aid.
• Despite political debate, Israel's security partnership with the U.S. remains a cornerstone of American foreign policy.

What military aid has the U.S. provided since the October 7 Hamas attacks?

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists staged a savage early morning attack, killing more than 1,200 people (mostly civilians), kidnapping over 250 others, and firing thousands of rockets. In April 2024, Iran escalated its war with Israel by launching its first direct attack on the Jewish state.

U.S. aid to Israel has played a crucial role in supporting its defense against escalating threats from Iran and its terror proxies, particularly in response to the unprecedented Iranian ballistic missile strikes on Israel in April and October 2024. American support has been multifaceted, reflecting a strong strategic partnership and ongoing support during Israel's conflicts with Iran and its terror proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Key developments in U.S. military aid to Israel in recent years:

1. Deployment of THAAD System: In October 2024, the U.S. announced it was sending the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and 100 troops to Israel to intercept ballistic missile attacks from Iran and its proxies. The THAAD system complements Israel's existing defenses, such as the Patriot missile system, with broader coverage and advanced capabilities.
2. Emergency Aid and Wartime Procurement: In April 2024, Congress approved $14.3 billion in emergency military assistance and $9.2 billion for humanitarian aid, including support for Gazan civilians. The  military assistance was allocated toward  wartime procurement and air defense systems like Iron Dome and David's Sling.
3. Paused Heavy Munitions Transfer: In May 2024, the Biden administration paused certain heavy munitions shipments pending Israel’s plans for operations in Rafah, where humanitarian concerns for displaced Palestinians were raised. This move reflected U.S. efforts to balance support for Israel while making sure attention is paid to humanitarian laws. After confirming adherence to humanitarian laws, the munitions transfer was later approved.
4. Proposed $8 Billion Arms Sale: In January 2025, the U.S. State Department notified Congress about a proposed $8 billion arms sale to Israel. The arms package includes medium-range air-to-air missiles for aerial defense, 155 mm artillery shells for long-range strikes, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, and 500-pound bombs. Note: While some weapons could be dispatched from existing U.S. inventories, the majority would require up to several years for delivery.
5. Trump Administration $4 Billion Aid: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a declaration in March 2025 to fast-track approximately $4 billion in military aid to Israel, using emergency authority to expedite assistance as Israel prepared for a potential resumption of fighting in Gaza. Rubio also stated that the Trump Administration “will continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats.”

How does U.S. aid to other countries serve American interests?

The U.S. has long been a major, if not the largest, provider of funding, training, military equipment, and weaponry to allied countries and strategic partners around the world. In 2023, it disbursed more than $7 billion in military assistance to countries around the world, including Israel, Egypt, South Korea, and Ukraine – all amounting to less than 1% of the federal budget. 

Security assistance has been driven by key  U.S. national security objectives, such as fighting terrorists, countering authoritative or communist regimes, and curbing drug trafficking.

Why is U.S. aid critical to Israel?

Israel’s enemies (nations and nonstate actors) have repeatedly tried and failed to destroy the world’s only Jewish state and eliminate its Jewish population. America has helped safeguard Israel’s survival with political and financial support. Today, most of the aid America provides to Israel is focused on supporting the Jewish State’s defense from its adversaries, such as Iran and Iran’s terror proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. 

The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), negotiated by President Obama, commits an unprecedented $500 million annually in missile defense funding, including Iron Dome, the strongest air defense system in the world, David’s Sling, and Iron Beam. Why is this important? Because anti-Israel terror groups, including Hezbollah next door in Lebanon and Hamas and Islamic Jihad in neighboring Gaza, have sporadically launched tens of thousands of rockets on Israel for nearly two decades – putting the Jewish state in a perpetual state of defense.

Iron Dome has intercepted up to 90 percent of projectiles fired at Israelis. Time and again, its ability to detect incoming rockets, determine the threat level, and intercept if human lives or infrastructure are at risk, has significantly lowered the death toll when Israelis are targeted by missile and rocket attacks launched by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.

Just since the October 7 attack, tens of thousands of rockets have been fired at Israeli civilians from Gaza. Simultaneously, Iran’s terror proxy Hezbollah has attacked from the north, Houthis have attacked from Yemen, and the Iranian regime has launched two separate direct attacks on the Jewish state. 

In order to help Israel defend itself from the unprecedented terror onslaught, Congress approved more than $14 billion in aid for Israel. This included $10.6 billion of assistance through the Defense Department, including air and missile defense support, industrial base investments, and replenishment of depleted stockpiles for its crucial air defense missile systems. The aid package also includes $3.7 billion for the State Department to strengthen Israel’s defense and enhance security around the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

The October 7 terrorist attack led the U.S. to shift its military aid to include offensive weapons to help Israel root out Hamas terrorists from Gaza once and for all. 

How does U.S. aid to Israel serve America’s interests?

Security assistance to Israel is not only an investment in Israel’s safety but also serves to advance U.S. interests in the Middle East as America’s only democratic ally in the region.

Israel—along with Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States—are essential partners against the onslaught of Iran-backed terror groups and proxies who destabilize the region and undermine American interests. 

“Preserving the region’s one true democracy and promoting those shared values is the best remedy for extremist ideologies that radicalize and lead to violence and instability,” Rayman said. “Partnerships with the U.S. and Israel like those cemented by the Abraham Accords enable countries to see the economic opportunities and other benefits of a thriving democracy.”

Additionally, Israel and the United States engage in longstanding intelligence cooperation, sharing information on common security threats, collaborating on technology development, and coordinating efforts in areas such as counterterrorism. 

Today, nearly three-quarters of the aid to Israel is delivered in the form of advanced weaponry and other defensive equipment that is produced in the United States. Much of the technology is developed in Israel.

For example, the Iron Dome, invented by Israel but produced in America, is now not only used by the Jewish state but has also become part of the U.S. Army’s defense system. This represents how U.S. financial support and defense technology, combined with Israeli know-how and ingenuity, advances American security. 

Financially, this aid invests in America. Almost all of it is spent in the U.S., where weapons are manufactured based on technology developed in Israel. Therefore, it directly supports over 20,000 jobs in the U.S. and indirectly supports thousands of other jobs. Over 1,000 companies in the U.S. have signed contracts worth billions of dollars to further America’s commitment to help Israel defend against ascending threats. 

“America has long upheld a commitment – codified in U.S. law – to securing and maintaining Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME) in the region. This policy, to ensure Israel maintains superior military capabilities, guides how Washington provides arms and security assistance throughout the Middle East,” Rayman said. “This commitment also provides a boon for U.S.-made military goods, not just helping the American economy but demonstrating the interdependence of the two nations.”

Furthermore, arming Israelis with American weapons to fight terrorism spares American servicemen and women from doing it. Former Secretary of State and U.S. Army General Alexander Haig’s observation 35 years ago still resonates today: “Israel is the largest American aircraft carrier in the world that cannot be sunk, does not carry even one American soldier, and is located in a critical region for American national security.”

When President Biden was serving as a U.S. Senator, he spoke about the importance of America’s democratic ally Israel, saying, “Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interest in the [Middle East].” 

President Trump has echoed this sentiment: “The United States again reaffirms our unbreakable bond with our cherished ally Israel. The partnership between our two countries, built on our shared values.”

How much aid does the U.S. currently provide to Israel?

First, it’s important to know that America’s annual support for Israel – nearly $4 billion – represents less than 0.00001% of U.S. federal spending. Last year, assistance to Israel accounted for just five percent of America’s foreign aid spending.

The current agreement, the 2016 MOU, and follows similar commitments signed by the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. 

Even with an MOU, Congress plays a crucial role in the foreign assistance process- funding to Israel must be provided through its annual appropriations process.

What is next for U.S. aid to Israel?

As the 2028 expiration date of the current MOU approaches, Israel is reportedly seeking a new 20-year security agreement with the U.S. that would last until the centennial of Israel’s independence in 2048.

But instead of seeking direct military aid, Israel is reportedly pursuing more research and development partnerships in the areas of defense tech, defense-related AI, and Trump’s Golden Dome for America, an initiative of the second Trump Administration to develop an integrated air and missile defense system.

This is important to note as Congress continues to consider legislation and other efforts regarding the future of this partnership.

Is Israel Ending U.S. Military Aid? What Netanyahu Is Proposing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed gradually ending U.S. military aid to Israel as the two countries negotiate a new defense memorandum to replace the current 10-year agreement that expires in 2028. Under the existing deal, Israel receives about $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing, plus $500 million a year for joint missile-defense programs such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. Netanyahu has suggested Israel could forgo or return some of the aid scheduled for 2027–2028 that is under the current MOU. 

In a January 2026 interview with The Economist, Netanyahu said that Israel’s economy could reach $1 trillion within a decade and that its defense industry is strong enough to support a transition toward self-reliance and joint U.S.–Israel research and development projects. 

During his first stint as prime minister in the late 1990s, Netanyahu helped phase out U.S. civilian financial assistance to Israel, and he has said he wants to repeat that process with military aid. His push is backed by allies inside his Likud Party and parts of Israel’s security establishment who see greater independence as both a strategic goal and a way to reduce Israel’s vulnerability to political pressure in Washington and growing polarization over Israel in U.S. domestic politics. 

Netanyahu raised the plan with President Donald Trump during a December meeting at Mar-a-Lago, but Trump was reportedly skeptical, favoring continued aid and viewing the assistance as mutually beneficial, including for the U.S. defense manufacturing base.

What About the Voices That Call for the Reduction of Aid?

Despite continued bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel security partnership, some lawmakers and activists have called for reducing—or even ending—U.S. assistance to Israel.

On the Republican side, some advocates of an "America First" foreign policy argue that military assistance to Israel should be treated like other forms of foreign aid and reduced as part of broader efforts to curb overseas spending. That debate recently intensified when Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced an amendment that would eliminate all U.S. assistance to Israel, including non-security programs that support people-to-people cooperation and humanitarian initiatives.

In a statement, AJC warned that ending U.S. assistance to Israel "would jeopardize America's long-term security interests in the Middle East" and that the U.S.-Israel partnership is "not just support for an ally, it is a strategic investment in America's own interests and a more prosperous future for Israelis and Palestinians."

Others who support Israel's right to defend itself nevertheless argue that the relationship should evolve. They contend that as Israel's economy and defense industry continue to grow, the two countries should gradually shift from traditional military assistance toward greater collaboration in defense technology, research and development, and joint manufacturing.

Meanwhile, public opinion within the Democratic Party has become increasingly divided over military aid to Israel as the humanitarian situation in Gaza has continued. While many Democratic leaders—including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and many members of the party's mainstream foreign policy wing—remain committed to maintaining Israel's Qualitative Military Edge and its ability to defend itself against Iran and its terrorist proxies, others have called for conditioning, reducing, or eliminating military assistance. Some progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), have introduced or supported measures to block or restrict U.S. arms transfers to Israel.

Some voices on the far left have gone further, portraying Israel's military campaign against Hamas as a campaign of aggression rather than a war launched in response to Hamas' October 7 terrorist attack and the ongoing threat posed by Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations.

How Does the U.S. Ensure Human Rights Violations Don’t Happen Using U.S. Weapons?

Israel’s critics have increasingly called for the conditioning of U.S. aid to the Jewish state. The truth is that all U.S. security aid is already, and automatically, subject to stringent conditions regarding its use. The more than 100 countries, including Israel, that receive military aid from the U.S. must all be compliant with the Leahy Law, a series of provisions in U.S. foreign assistance laws that prohibit the U.S. State and Defense Departments from providing military assistance to foreign militaries that have committed gross violations of human rights. 

Named for Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the law requires the U.S. government to periodically vet foreign security forces and individuals for human rights violations before providing them with assistance or training. This vetting process aims to ensure that U.S. assistance does not inadvertently support individuals or groups involved in human rights abuses.

The Leahy Law clearly states that when credible evidence of human rights violations exists, the U.S. government is obligated to withhold assistance until the wrongdoing is properly addressed and appropriate action is taken. However, it does provide some necessary flexibility to protect U.S. interests and advance foreign policy objectives.

The State Department also released a report in 2024 assessing Israel’s conduct in the war. Known as National Security Memorandum 20, the report criticized certain areas of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, but concluded that Israel’s actions were consistent with international law when using U.S.-made weapons and that U.S. security aid to Israel could continue. In February 2025, President Trump rescinded the memo, which had only required reports to Congress about weapons provided to Israel. The Leahy Law remains in effect for all countries receiving U.S. military aid.