FDD | Bradley Bowman, Justin Leopold-Cohen
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advocates for phasing out US military aid to Israel, proposing "joint projects" instead of the current $3.8 billion annual assistance under the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which runs until 2028. This includes $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $500 million for missile defense. Netanyahu's stance, articulated on May 10 to 60 Minutes, comes amidst re-election efforts and shifting US public opinion. While FMF has been crucial for Israel's military preeminence and operations against adversaries like Iran, its proportion of Israel's defense budget spiked to 35% in 2024 after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, but is projected to fall below 10% by 2026. Israel's 2026 defense budget increased to $49 billion, a 6% rise, yet the country already spends 7% of its GDP on defense, far exceeding NATO members. A premature FMF reduction could leave Israel less secure, diminish the US's capable partner in the Middle East, and challenge the maintenance of Israel’s qualitative military edge, as required by US law.
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