Dr Nor Aishah Hanifa 
Senior Lecturer
Department of IR, Law, and Security
Faculty of Defence Studies and Management
National Defence University of Malaysia

Since the WW II, Israel has been the largest recipient of the US foreign aid. According to the USAID, Israel was second highest recipient of the US foreign aid after Afghanistan in 2019. In 2020, US has given $3.8 billion to Israel. In which $500 million was for missile defence, including investments in Israel’s Iron Dome and other systems which can intercept incoming rockets. Since 2011, US has contributed $1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defence system. Israel spent the US aid in collaborating with the US on developing military technology, such as a system to detect underground tunnels used to infiltrate Israel. 

    The US aid to Israel often discussed by scholars in the context of US-Israel “Special Relationship” since the WW II. So far there are many factors have been presented to justify the US aid to Israel. Beginning with historical commitments since President Truman who had given the US de facto support in creation of Israel in 1948. Second is the geo-strategic factor where Israel is a potential strategic player in US strategy in the Middle East. Scholars also argue that both the US and Israel share same democratic values which develop the relationship. Importantly the role of the US Jewish lobby to mend the US-Israel “Special Relationship” never escape from many literatures.  

    The US aid to Israel began in the time of President Truman when the US president approved $135 million Export-Import Bank Loan and sales of surplus commodities to Israel. The US aid to Israel until 1985 consisted of loans were repaid by Israel. Israel began buying arms from the US in 1962. Israel did not receive any grant of military assistance until after the Yom Kippur War in 1973. US perceived that without a stronger Israel, war will occur in the Middle East in the Cold War dimension. Hence US would face higher expenditures in case of war break out in the Middle East. Israel’s security become a corner stone in the Cold War. 

Since 1973, Israel received from US more than $120 billion in assistance, including three special aid packages. The first package was given to reward Israel for signing peace treaty with Egypt and withdrawal from Sinai. The second package was approved in 1985 when Israel was facing severe inflation. Around $1.5 billion was injected under the Israel’s economic stabilization program. In 1996, the third package was approved to help Israel to fight terrorism. Starting from 1987, Israel received $1.2 billion in all grant economic aid, and $1.8 billion in all grant military assistance. During the Clinton administration, Israel voluntarily agreed to reduce the economic aid package to $120 million each year. In 2005, Israel received $360 million in economic aid $2.22 billion in military aid. In 2006, economic aid reduced to $320 million and military aid increased to $2.28 billion.

In 1998 Israel was designated as the major NATO ally by US. This is a crucial decision made by the US administration which further increased Israel’s role and power in the Middle East. The US decision allows Israel to receive outdated military equipment that US military wishes to sell or give away. Israel also received $1 billion in grants since 1986 for a joint venture military projects with the US, like the Arrow Missile project which was provided via the US defence budget. 
                       

 Under the Bush administration the US military aid increased further to another $6 billion.  President Obama signed the largest military aid agreement with Israel. In 2016, U.S. and Israel signed a new ten year MOU on military aid covering 2019 to 2028. The MOU provided Israel with $38 billion in military aid ($33 billion in Foreign Military Financing plus with $5 million for missile defence). Under this MOU, the US participated in joint US-Israel defence programs such as Iron Dome, Arrow II and Arrow III, and David’s Sling.  Previous MOUs did not include the missile defence funding.                  

The US-Israel relationship prospered further under the Trump administration. In 2017, President Trump announced an additional $75 million to the MOU signed in 2016 for Israel’s defence programs. In 2018, the US Congress passed $1.3 trillion budget ($3.1 billion military aid, $705.8 million for the joint US-Israel missile defence cooperation, and $47.5 million for anti-tunnel cooperation). The US defence budget also for the first time included provision for US cooperation with Israel in countering unmanned aerial systems. The Department of Defence under Trump administration announced plans to sell new KC-46 Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel. These are capable of refuelling planes such as the F-35 in mid-air.  
             

 

In addition, the Trump administrations also passed a bill to provide $990 million gallons of diesel and gasoline for ground vehicles and jet fuel for aircraft at a cost of $3 billion. In 2021, the Israeli Knesset agreed to use $2.74 million in military assistance to purchase F-35 and F-15 fighter jets, heavy transport helicopters, refuelling planes, interceptor missiles, advanced bombs for aircraft and other critical equipment to military.  The Trump administration also agreed to weapon transfer worth of $735 million consisting of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), from dumb bombs to precision guided missiles.

Since 1948 to 2021, the US aid has helped Israel to develop one of the most advanced military in the world. The US aid allowing Israel to purchase US sophisticated military equipment. Israel uses the US military technology strengthen its power and national security in the Middle East. The US foreign assistance agency says, “The US military assistance helps ensure that Israel maintain its Qualitative Military Edge (QME) over potential regional threats”. 

The Hamas-Israel war in May 2021 made significant shift in the Democratic Party views over Israel. The left wing of the Democratic Party expressed its discontentment over Israel’s action in Jerusalem and Gaza. They are questioning about the US aid commitment toward Israel. Senator Bernie Sanders lead other democrats to halt the sale of $735 million worth of precision guided weapons to Israel. 

When the Russia-Ukraine war break out in February 2022, the US and the west abstained from intervention into the war. However, they showed undivided support to Ukraine by delivering military procurements and financial support. The US foreign policy is under attack for their double standard policy in both war theatres. In the case of Palestine for almost seven decades, the US vital interest is to secure Israel’s national security. So that Israel would continue play its role as an important ally in the Middle East. 

Palestine should realize that security of Palestine (Gaza or the West Bank) is a peripheral interest in the US Middle East policy, although stability of the region is a major calculation in the vital interest. Palestine would be treated differently if they can be a strategic player. US perceive Palestine as a receiver of aid, and lacks commitment in the peace process. The US is a tired, and frustrated power in Israel-Palestine peace efforts as time pass by without final resolution.

Clash of civilizations undeniably created misconception in the US foreign policy. Palestinians’ nationalism is misunderstood frequently based on Palestinians’ political actions. The concepts of terrorism, national interest and national security envelops militarism in the region. Meanwhile the Ukrainian nationalism with neo-Nazi rhetoric in the eastern Ukraine never been ruled out as terrorism. Obviously, the US foreign policy is slowly failing to achieve its vital interest in many regions. The US needs rational calculation on rising militarism in the region and fully realizes that WW I and WW II ignited by militarism. Reduction of militarism (arms control and disarmament) among allies and belligerents should take place as the policy choice of US in the Middle East to create peace and stability.