The United States stands firm with Israel in its conflicts against Iran. Donald Trump demanded unconditional surrender from Iran and even threatened the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, decisively. This echoes the ongoing economic and military support Israel has received from America over the years. According to the U.S. Foreign Assistance Database, aid to Israel began in 1951, initially focusing purely on economic support.
In 1951, Israel received $0.96 million from the U.S. as economic liabilities. This assistance persisted through the 1950s and early 1960s, averaging between $0.4 and $0.6 billion annually. Military aid was either absent or negligible during this period.
The early 1970s marked a shift. By 1971, military aid surged to $3.20 billion, while economic support was at $0.33 billion. By 1974, following the Yom Kippur War, military assistance soared to $12.45 billion, outpacing economic aid, which remained at $0.26 billion.
Source: aajtak
After 2008, economic aid nearly vanished. Conversely, military support remained steady, at $3.29 billion in 2009, $3.83 billion in 2010, continuing above $3 billion annually into the 2020s.
By 2024, military assistance reached $6.64 billion, while economic aid was just $0.01 billion. From 1951 to 2024, Israel received $305.5 billion from America, with $221.68 billion in military funding and $83.8 billion in economic support. Military aid comprises over 72% of total assistance provided to Israel.
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Is This the Case for Other Nations Too?
Countries receiving substantial U.S. foreign assistance have noticeably leaned towards military funding. Egypt and Afghanistan, for instance, received $93.93 billion and $109.88 billion respectively in military aid, making up a significant portion of their total assistance. Vietnam, Ukraine, and Iraq are also in this category, with military support constituting more than half of their total U.S. assistance.
Source: aajtak
However, countries like India and Bangladesh primarily received economic aid. India was granted $86.1 billion, with just $1.18 billion in military aid, while Bangladesh received $21.8 billion, of which only $0.35 billion was military assistance.
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Israel-USA Military Relations
According to the
, a substantial portion of military aid to Israel from the United States comes through the Foreign Military Financing Program, under which Israel receives approximately $3.3 billion annually.
As of October 2023, the Biden Administration reported that Israel had around 600 active Foreign Military Financing cases, totaling approximately $24 billion. Data from the U.S. Department of Defense shows that from 1950 to 2022, Israel purchased $53 billion in U.S. armaments, positioning it as one of the top recipients worldwide, only behind Saudi Arabia, which received $164 billion within the same timeframe.
