The administration of US President Joe Biden has informed Congress that it intends to approve a package of military aid for Israel amounting to $8 billion, Reuters reported yesterday. An aid package of this size requires approval by the House of Representatives and the Senate. It will include air-to-ground munitions and artillery shells.
In the first year of the Swords of Iron war that began in October 2023, the US invested not less than $17.9 billion in military aid for Israel, according to the Costs of War project of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US. This is equivalent to 3.8% of Israel’s annual GDP.
Israel’s defense budget for 2025 is NIS 117 billion ($30.9 billion), representing 6.5% of GDP and 20% of the total state budget. US aid thus amounts to 57.9% of Israel’s defense expenditure. This is without taking into account $4.86 billion invested in increased US military activity in the area, such as assistance in Israel’s aerial defense.
The basis of US policy in this regard is the principle of maintaining Israel’s qualitative military advantage over its enemies and potential enemies. The Watson Institute states that all of Israel’s 334 combat aircraft, which represent the main element of its qualitative advantage, are US-built. The Israel Air Force also operates more than 40 Apache helicopters, also from the US. In the current war, the US has supplied Israel with over 4 million kilograms of jet fuel, about 57,000 155 mm shells, 3,000 Hellfire missiles, 1,800 bunker-busting bombs, 200 loitering munitions, and 20,000 rifles.
An extraordinary move even in the context of this war was the decision by the US to station THAAD aerial defense systems in Israel to assist in intercepting some of the missiles launched at Israel by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 5, 2025.
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