As we commemorate Israel’s 75th birthday and the longstanding friendship between the United States and the Jewish State, we must reassert our bond—and spurn efforts to diminish it, as cooperation between both nations safeguards Israel from the destruction of war, maintains regional stability, protects vital American strategic interests, and ultimately saves countless lives. This partnership is now being threatened by a few fringe members of Congress calling on President Biden to restrict military aid to Israel.
The benefits of U.S. military aid to Israel are well known and well documented. Since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the U.S. has allocated over $150 billion in military and economic aid to Israel. American support helped Israel develop a strong military that can repel a variety of attacks from terrorism, ballistic missiles, and the many other dangers menacing Israel’s borders. U.S. assistance also enables Israel to maintain its qualitative military edge over adversaries such as Iran, ensuring that it can defend itself effectively against any global threat.
U.S. military aid to Israel is not simply about Israel’s defense—it also serves critical and undeniable American national security interests. Israel is a key ally in an important region. Our military partnership enables the U.S. to maintain an active presence without having to deploy U.S. troops and potentially put Americans in harm’s way. Israel’s thriving defense industry produces cutting-edge military technologies, such as the Iron Dome missile defense system, which has saved thousands of lives. Military aid to Israel also contributes to new scientific innovations that benefit the entire world, including the development of breakthrough medical devices and water-conservation technologies.
Additionally, more than 75 percent of security assistance provided to Israel is spent in the United States. This spending boosts the U.S. economy and helps support thousands of high-quality American jobs across the country.
Efforts to cut or condition military aid to Israel would have lasting and disastrous implications for Israel’s ability to defend civilians from existential threats. Moreover, such proposals are far too often fodder for those who viscerally oppose the very existence of Israel, the world’s only Jewish State, as well as those who hide their antisemitism behind the fig-leaf of anti-Zionism. Cutting military aid not only lessens Israel’s ability and readiness to defend itself, but also, intentionally, or otherwise, incentivizes those who seek to do harm to the prospects of a lasting peace in the region.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is on record strongly opposing any attempts to limit or condition U.S. security assistance to Israel. Israel faces threats from all its borders and beyond. Cutting back on funding or attaching strings to aid fundamentally weakens Israel’s ability to counter these very real threats. Such actions would also undermine Israel’s role as a friend and ally of the U.S. and hurt the collective welfare and harmony of the Middle East.
Proposals to cut or condition U.S. military aid to Israel ultimately enable extremists and those who seek to perpetuate violence. These initiatives ignore Israel’s right to defend herself and serve to play into the hands of those who wish to harm Israelis and destabilize the region, who will read such moves as weakening Israel, as well as indicating a lack of U.S. support for the Middle East’s only thriving democracy.
We must not allow hate and bigotry to drive policymaking. Nor can we risk a breakdown in the prospect of future peace talks, as Israelis must be confident that they will be able to defend themselves from those who would seek to destroy them. Instead, we must work towards a future where Israelis and Palestinians can coexist peacefully and securely.
Notwithstanding a small but vocal fringe in Congress pushing a dangerous and false narrative, President Biden demonstrates his unwavering support for the US-Israel relationship by rightly recognizing that adding further conditions to U.S. aid would be “irresponsible.” As American Jewish leaders, we are grateful for the President’s commitment on this issue. We confidently anticipate that vast super-majorities in Congress will continue to honor this 75-year-old bipartisan endeavor, as they have consistently for decades.
Moves to cut or attach strings to U.S. aid to Israel not only harm Israel’s ability to defend itself, but also undermine important U.S. national security interests, as well as the potential for peace negotiations in the region. By incentivizing those who engage in terrorism and deny Palestinians the prospects for a better life, such proposals create more discord and dissent. On Israel’s 75th anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to this important partnership, and reject any and all efforts to weaken it.
William Daroff is Chief Executive Officer of the Conference of Presidents.
This piece was published in Newsweek on May 1, 2023. To view the original or listen to it online, click here.
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