- Protests in the U.S. demand a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel
- Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a resolution to impose conditions on aid to Israel
- U.S. aid to Israel has shifted from economic to mostly military assistance since the 1970s
- The U.S. aims to ensure Israel's military edge in the Middle East
- President Biden requested $14.3 billion in additional assistance to Israel
- Despite increasing scrutiny, bipartisan support for aid to Israel remains strong

Since WWII, the U.S. has provided more foreign aid to Israel than any other country, giving about $3.8 billion a year in economic and military aid. Given disagreement over the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, the future of this arrangement is now uncertain. Could vocal calls for pausing aid, mainly from the left wing of the Democratic Party like Sen Bernie Sanders, lead to a rejection of Biden’s security assistance package?

WSJ explores why Israel still receives so much aid from the U.S. and examines the current fight over conditional aid. 

Chapters:
0:00 U.S. aid to Israel after Oct. 7
0:51 Current fight over conditional aid
2:32 Historical context
5:16 State of U.S. aid to Israel today

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Israel's response in Gaza to the Hamas attacks has led to protests across the U.S.

Demanding a ceasefire, with many calling for an end to U.S.

If you want my money, You better listen to me.

Provides about $3.8 billion in aid to Israel every year.

Has provided more foreign aid to Israel than any other country.

But today, there are increasingly vocal calls for more scrutiny of that aid from the left wing of the Democratic Party, including threats to scuttle Biden's request for $14.3 billion in additional assistance to Israel.

It's changing the nature of the discussion now.

It was once frowned upon to criticize Israel publicly, and now you're seeing more and more that people are doing so, and those calls are getting louder and louder.

This is a simple request for information.

On January 16th, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a resolution that sought to impose conditions on continued aid to Israel.

This is a very modest, common-sense proposal.

Sanders' resolution would freeze aid to Israel unless the State Department produced a report within 30 days examining whether Israel has committed human rights violations in Gaza.

What is going on in Israel right now is being done significantly with U.S.

So the 2,000-pound bombs which have the capability of wiping out entire neighborhoods, those are American bombs.

As expected, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected Senator Sanders' resolution in a 72-to-11 vote.

We can and should continue to push Israel towards a targeted prosecution of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

But passing this resolution does not do that.

In fact, I would say it is counterproductive to it.

And that's why I brought up this resolution and I and other members will continue to fight for accountability from Israel.

Even though the resolution failed, it represents a historic level of scrutiny for USAID to Israel.

Just the fact that the Senate is now forced to debate this issue publicly really shows that there's a changing tide.

Even if it didn't go anywhere and it was overwhelmingly rejected, the fact that senators are now forced to grapple with this question publicly shows that there is increasing pressure to do more.

An historic moment for Zion, which is celebrated in Washington at the office of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, as a small boy runs the flag of the new Jewish state out on the stand.

In 1948, the United States was first country in the world to recognize Israel.

The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new state of Israel.

But there really wasn't financial assistance attached.

There was a little bit of money, loans, to help resettling all the people into Israel.

And of course, this was still right after the Holocaust.

Many had suffered great hardships in the past.

She, for instance, was evidently once merely a number in some Nazi belson.

Which was an important part of the context for the creation of Israel.

Provided the new country with economic aid.

In 1973, 2 Soviet client states, Egypt and Syria, launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israeli forces in the Sinai and the Golan Heights.

Israel ultimately repelled the attacks and regained lost ground, but only after the U.S.

Made the decision to supply the Israeli military.

Are you satisfied with the amount of equipment you're getting from the United States?

I'm very happy with what we are getting in very thankful to them.

In 1973, Israel was defending itself against 2 Soviet clients.

That created an incentive for the United States and Israel to align more closely.

The real pivot came after the Camp David Agreement.

Signed at the White House by the leaders of Egypt, Israel, and the United States.

After decades of mistrust and warfare, it looks as if American diplomacy has finally made possible a formal peace treaty between the 2 old adversaries.

That really created a very different relationship with Israel, a very different American security commitment to Israel.

And it was also the 1970s where Israel went from being a somewhat partisan, mostly democratic cause to being a bipartisan national issue.

Economic aid to Israel helped support the Israeli economy.

But since the rapid expansion of Israel's economy in the 1990s, U.S.

Economic aid to Israel began to gradually phase out in the 21st century.

So there was a shift over time agreed to by both sides where the American assistance to Israel which had been balanced after the Camp David Agreement in 1979 between economic and military assistance became only military assistance.

Part of America's strategy in the Middle East is ensuring that Israel maintains a qualitative military edge over its neighbors.

This approach involves giving Israel first access to or more advanced versions of US defense technology.

It also offsets military sales to its neighbors with increased weapons packages or military aid to Israel.

What this means is that when the neighbors want to buy a weapons system, the United States oftentimes often has to arrange to also sell that weapons system to Israel.

Annual foreign military financing grants from the U.S.

Represent about 16% of the Israeli military budget.

So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America's national security.

You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction.

In Israel, we must make sure that they have what they need to protect their people today and always.

Last year, President Biden requested $14.3 billion in additional assistance to Israel.

A $14 billion funding request would provide an additional $10.6 billion for the Pentagon to better equip Israel.

Military response to the Hamas attack includes ammunition and interceptors to replenish Israel's Iron Dome system, which is the bedrock of the country's defense.

Israel and America are connected now and forever.

Aid packages to Israel have faced little trouble getting through Congress because Israel has long enjoyed bipartisan support.

Peace requires compromise but we will never ask Israel to compromise its security.

There has been remarkably strong bipartisan support for aid to Israel, but for the last 5 to 10 years, we've seen increasing signs, certainly on the Democratic side in Congress, that maybe it needs to be qualified, maybe it needs to be conditioned in some way.

Despite the different mood in Congress, it remains likely that Biden's new security package to Israel will pass the Senate.

If Hamas is left to its own devices, they will do to Israelis everywhere in Israel what they did to Israelis along the Gaza Strip.

We're gonna support our close friend and ally, Israel.

Has decided that providing aid to Israel is just a fixture in its foreign policy.

1 thing that I have talked to officials about in recent weeks is, you know, are there going to be conditions at any point?

So what do you tell them behind the scenes to sort of hold them accountable?

For his part, Senator Sanders intends to continue scrutinizing the military assistance the U.S.

Do not count me in to give another $10 billion to a right-wing extremist government in Israel.

It's a start, but I can tell you absolutely that there are many more members of the Senate who are really upset about what is going on in Gaza right now.


Speaker 0: Israel's response in Gaza to the Hamas attacks has led to protests across the U.S. Demanding a ceasefire, with many calling for an end to U.S. Military aid to Israel.

Speaker 1: If you want my money, You better listen to me.

Speaker 0: The U.S. Provides about $3.8 billion in aid to Israel every year. And since World War II, the U.S. Has provided more foreign aid to Israel than any other country. But today, there are increasingly vocal calls for more scrutiny of that aid from the left wing of the Democratic Party, including threats to scuttle Biden's request for $14.3 billion in additional assistance to Israel.

Speaker 2: It's changing the nature of the discussion now. It was once frowned upon to criticize Israel publicly, and now you're seeing more and more that people are doing so, and those calls are getting louder and louder.

Speaker 1: This is a simple request for information.

Speaker 0: On January 16th, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a resolution that sought to impose conditions on continued aid to Israel.

Speaker 1: It simply requests a report on how U.S. Aid is being used. This is a very modest, common-sense proposal.

Speaker 0: Sanders' resolution would freeze aid to Israel unless the State Department produced a report within 30 days examining whether Israel has committed human rights violations in Gaza.

Speaker 1: What is going on in Israel right now is being done significantly with U.S. Military aid. So the 2,000-pound bombs which have the capability of wiping out entire neighborhoods, those are American bombs.

Speaker 0: As expected, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected Senator Sanders' resolution in a 72-to-11 vote.

Speaker 3: We can and should continue to push Israel towards a targeted prosecution of the war against Hamas in Gaza. But passing this resolution does not do that. In fact, I would say it is counterproductive to it.

Speaker 1: Are we complicit? And the answer obviously is yes, we are. And that's why I brought up this resolution and I and other members will continue to fight for accountability from Israel.

Speaker 0: Even though the resolution failed, it represents a historic level of scrutiny for USAID to Israel.

Speaker 2: Just the fact that the Senate is now forced to debate this issue publicly really shows that there's a changing tide. Even if it didn't go anywhere and it was overwhelmingly rejected, the fact that senators are now forced to grapple with this question publicly shows that there is increasing pressure to do more.

Speaker 4: An historic moment for Zion, which is celebrated in Washington at the office of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, as a small boy runs the flag of the new Jewish state out on the stand.

Speaker 5: In 1948, the United States was first country in the world to recognize Israel.

Speaker 4: The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new state of Israel.

Speaker 5: But there really wasn't financial assistance attached. There was a little bit of money, loans, to help resettling all the people into Israel. And of course, this was still right after the Holocaust.

Speaker 6: Many had suffered great hardships in the past. She, for instance, was evidently once merely a number in some Nazi belson.

Speaker 5: Which was an important part of the context for the creation of Israel.

Speaker 0: In the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. Provided the new country with economic aid. But by the early 1970s, U.S. Aid became mostly military assistance. In 1973, 2 Soviet client states, Egypt and Syria, launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israeli forces in the Sinai and the Golan Heights.

Israel ultimately repelled the attacks and regained lost ground, but only after the U.S. Made the decision to supply the Israeli military.

Speaker 4: Are you satisfied with the amount of equipment you're getting from the United States? I'm very happy with what we are getting in very thankful to them.

Speaker 5: In 1973, Israel was defending itself against 2 Soviet clients. That created an incentive for the United States and Israel to align more closely. The real pivot came after the Camp David Agreement.

Speaker 6: Signed at the White House by the leaders of Egypt, Israel, and the United States. After decades of mistrust and warfare, it looks as if American diplomacy has finally made possible a formal peace treaty between the 2 old adversaries.

Speaker 5: That really created a very different relationship with Israel, a very different American security commitment to Israel. And it was also the 1970s where Israel went from being a somewhat partisan, mostly democratic cause to being a bipartisan national issue.

Speaker 0: For decades, U.S. Economic aid to Israel helped support the Israeli economy. But since the rapid expansion of Israel's economy in the 1990s, U.S. Economic aid to Israel began to gradually phase out in the 21st century.

Speaker 5: So there was a shift over time agreed to by both sides where the American assistance to Israel which had been balanced after the Camp David Agreement in 1979 between economic and military assistance became only military assistance.

Speaker 0: Part of America's strategy in the Middle East is ensuring that Israel maintains a qualitative military edge over its neighbors. This approach involves giving Israel first access to or more advanced versions of US defense technology. It also offsets military sales to its neighbors with increased weapons packages or military aid to Israel.

Speaker 5: What this means is that when the neighbors want to buy a weapons system, the United States oftentimes often has to arrange to also sell that weapons system to Israel.

Speaker 0: Annual foreign military financing grants from the U.S. Represent about 16% of the Israeli military budget.

Speaker 7: So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America's national security. You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. In Israel, we must make sure that they have what they need to protect their people today and always.

Speaker 0: Last year, President Biden requested $14.3 billion in additional assistance to Israel. A $14 billion funding request would provide an additional $10.6 billion for the Pentagon to better equip Israel. The U.S. Military response to the Hamas attack includes ammunition and interceptors to replenish Israel's Iron Dome system, which is the bedrock of the country's defense.

Speaker 4: Israel and America are connected now and forever.

Speaker 0: Historically, U.S. Aid packages to Israel have faced little trouble getting through Congress because Israel has long enjoyed bipartisan support.

Speaker 4: Peace requires compromise but we will never ask Israel to compromise its security. Can't do that.

Speaker 5: There has been remarkably strong bipartisan support for aid to Israel, but for the last 5 to 10 years, we've seen increasing signs, certainly on the Democratic side in Congress, that maybe it needs to be qualified, maybe it needs to be conditioned in some way.

Speaker 0: Despite the different mood in Congress, it remains likely that Biden's new security package to Israel will pass the Senate.

Speaker 8: Israel has to end the threat of Hamas. Hamas is evil. If Hamas is left to its own devices, they will do to Israelis everywhere in Israel what they did to Israelis along the Gaza Strip.

Speaker 5: We're gonna support our close friend and ally, Israel.

Speaker 2: The U.S. Has decided that providing aid to Israel is just a fixture in its foreign policy. 1 thing that I have talked to officials about in recent weeks is, you know, are there going to be conditions at any point? You criticize Israel's actions. So what do you tell them behind the scenes to sort of hold them accountable?

Would you withhold military aid? And the answer I get generally is no. It's not even a question.

Speaker 0: For his part, Senator Sanders intends to continue scrutinizing the military assistance the U.S. Provides to Israel.

Speaker 1: Do not count me in to give another $10 billion to a right-wing extremist government in Israel. It's a start, but I can tell you absolutely that there are many more members of the Senate who are really upset about what is going on in Gaza right now.

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Why Does the U.S. Support and Fund Israel So Much? | WSJ