Gaza violence sparks debate over conditioning US military aid to Israel
A number of progressive Democrats have called for the United States to reexamine Israel's annual aid package.
The mounting death toll from Israel's campaign of airstrikes against militants in Gaza has thrust US military assistance to the Jewish state into the spotlight, as a small but vocal group of Democrats call for conditions to be placed on the several billions of dollars the United States provides Israel with each year.
“American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations,” tweeted Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). “Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed.”
"We cannot remain silent when our government sends $3.8 billion of military aid to Israel that is used to demolish Palestinian homes, imprison Palestinian children and displace Palestinian families,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said on the House floor. “A budget is a reflection of our values."
The United States provides some $3.8 billion to Israel annually, the bulk of which consists of foreign military financing. The sum, which accounts for 20% of the country’s defense budget, makes Israel the No. 1 recipient of US foreign aid, followed by its neighbors Egypt and Jordan. In the final months of the Obama administration, the United States and Israel inked an agreement to provide Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over 10 years, in what was the biggest such aid package in history.
