America’s Checkbook: Financing Israel’s Military Dominance
With taxpayers watching billions being sent to Israel’s arsenal, what is the true cost of conflict in the Gaza Strip?
In the shadow of escalating body counts and ravaged infrastructure, Americans are demanding reasons for why their money should continue to support Israel’s forces in the Gaza Strip.
The Biden Administration claims to want nothing less than an end to the violence. Yet, with over 30,000 Palestinians killed, U.S. abstaining from the ceasefire vote, and money still flowing to Israel, their actions speak a different truth. The people of Gaza are being strung along a tangled web of political maneuvers, weapons dealings, and historic abuse that obscures the reality on the ground.
Against this backdrop of destruction and despair, a different kind of warfare rages on — one fueled not by bullets, but by billions of dollars in military aid gifted from the U.S. to one of its closest allies. An agreement that’s gone on for years, yet flown under the radar, paralleling the stifled struggles of the Palestinian people.
In the face of such complete and utter failure to protect civilian lives, Americans want an answer:
Is funding violence in the pursuit of peace worth the cost?
Despite significant support pouring into Gaza from every corner of the world, the region is in a drought of resources. Supply drops are used up as quick as they arrive, or worse, are used to lure in victims for Israeli firing squads. Calamities are already raging, and yet worse is just upon us.
The water crisis looms large, health issues skyrocketing as an overwhelming amount of Gaza is unable to access basic needs like clean water — to say nothing of the imminent famine. The blockades imposed by Israel restrict the flow of goods and humanitarian aid into Gaza to a deadly degree, encouraging the starvation and poverty already wracking the population.
All the while, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) still indiscriminately deploys weekly, daily, and even hourly bombings in civilian zones. Infrastructure damage has halted most essential services in the Gaza Strip, leaving civilians vulnerable to displacement and injury. Human lives becoming collateral damage is par for the course, as even designated “safe zones” have been targeted by the IDF.
The United Nations and its affiliates have been at the forefront of aid efforts, yet their aid trucks, volunteers, and even clearly marked UN buildings have come under attack by Israel. While support for Palestine trends regularly on American social platforms, getting that aid to victims has proven perilous.
The Palestinian people have suffered ethnic cleansing and targeted attacks for decades already. Half their population was massacred by Israeli colonizers in the 1948 Nakba. The remaining survivors had their land stolen, their rights stripped, and their culture suppressed under systemic apartheid.
Decades of conflict, dispossession, and occupation have left deep scars on the region, with aid serving as a lifeline for many communities struggling to rebuild. Despite international communities reprimanding Israel for years of human rights violations against Palestine, conduct has only worsened. The ongoing tensions hinder long-term development and stability in Gaza and the West Bank, perpetuating the cycle of dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Gaza, once sporting an international airport and an open port, has long had its ability to travel crippled. The airport lasted barely two years, while Gaza’s single port has been under Israel’s naval blockade for almost two decades, severely limiting imports.
Palestine struggles with a ravaged infrastructure from repeated bombings long before October 7th. Israel has hindered immigration, travel, and aid reception for historic Palestine for nearly as long as its been colonizing the country, despite claiming to no longer occupy Gaza. Despite the UN’s efforts, Israel’s dominance over Gaza’s extends far beyond aid distribution. Their control over Gaza’s economy, including vital resources like water, electricity, and land, reaffirms the international agreement that Israel is, in fact, still occupying Gaza.
The blockade has not only killed any economic growth, but also perpetuates a cycle of dependency on international assistance. Moreover, restrictions on imports and exports severely limit Gaza’s ability to trade and develop self-sustaining industries, trapping its residents in a state of perpetual poverty.
Israel was only recognized as a state in 1948, with the U. S. being the first country to do so. Despite that, Israel still managed to reach the top ten recipients of American aid by 1976. It became number 1 in 1990, and has stayed that way for the last 34 years.
The United States has always been a staunch supporter of Israel, providing millions to billions of dollars in military aid annually. This support, rooted in strategic partnerships, has elevated Israel to the status of the top recipient of US aid for decades, despite concerns about its military-focused approach and implications for regional stability.
The substantial monetary, military, and social aid in the global sphere the U.S. has provided Israel has ramped up volatility in the Middle East. While touted as a mutually beneficial friendship, critics argue that such support for the IDF perpetuates the genocide of the Palestinians, and undermines efforts for a ceasefire.
The mechanisms through which aid is delivered to Israel has always left a few eyebrows raised, but October 7th is what made the public truly start paying attention to our country’s dealings.
Typically, foreign aid comes in the form of specialized credit that countries can spend on a designated item. If we “gave” a million in aid to France for security, we’re really expecting them to spend that million buying weapons, vehicles, and other security supplies from U.S. military manufacturers.
Unlike other countries, Israel’s access to funds is uniquely structured.
“GONZALEZ: For basically every country in the world, if they get a billion dollars from the United States to buy weapons, it is truly just a billion dollars.
MCMANUS: What’s different with Israel is that, for Israel, if they’re getting $3.3 billion, they’ll have that 3.3 billion plus whatever interest is earned.
HOROWITZ-GHAZI: The money the U.S. appropriates for Israel is different because the money goes into an interest-bearing account with the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank.
MCMANUS: So Israel can earn interest on its foreign military financing.”
— Planet Money, NPR How much of your tax dollars are going to Israel and Ukraine
Our deep involvement in Israel’s military affairs extends beyond financial support, as Israel serves as a crucial lever of power in the Middle East. The marked relationship between our two countries has provoked many concerns about U.S. foreign policy, and America’s now infamous role in sparking wars in the region.
Biden’s close ties with Israeli military affairs, yet inability to stop Netanyahu from bombing civilians, raises ethical questions about our government’s use of taxpayer dollars. The close alignment between U.S. and Israeli interests often comes at the expense of Palestinian rights and sovereignty, further complicating efforts for peace and reconciliation.
As U.S. citizens demand greater accountability and transparency in foreign policy, the need for a reevaluation of aid to Israel has become a pressing issue.
Through social media and grassroots activism, citizens are voicing their concerns about the ethical implications of supporting proxy wars through our foreign assistance. Support for Palestine has become a call to action for transparency, accountability, and a reevaluation of foreign aid policies to ensure they serve the interests of peace and justice.
While Americans grapple with the reality of our country loading the bullets in Israeli guns, the spotlight on Gaza only grows brighter. Demands for change won’t stop until the U.S. steps away from Israel’s side. History is watching to see what our leaders choose next.
