A new report from Brown University’s Costs of War project reveals that the United States has sent a record $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel over the past year, coinciding with Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The report, released on the one-year mark of what it calls a genocide in Gaza, highlights the unprecedented level of U.S. support as Israel threatens to escalate its aggression across the Middle East.
This $17.9 billion in aid, the highest amount since the U.S. began assisting Israel in 1959, includes $14.1 billion approved by Congress and the White House in April, as well as the annual $3.8 billion that the U.S. allocates to Israel. However, the report suggests that the true figure could be even higher, citing opaque accounting practices by U.S. officials. For example, the report does not include at least 100 additional weapons shipments to Israel made under the reporting threshold, as noted by a Washington Post investigation.
The report also highlights that the U.S. has spent at least $22.7 billion on operations linked to Israel’s military activities, including actions related to Yemen’s Houthis, further deepening the financial burden. There are also ongoing military transfers and sales worth $23 billion, along with Israel’s access to a U.S. weapons stockpile containing $4.4 billion worth of arms before the October 7, 2023, escalation.
The U.S. military aid has significantly benefited American defense contractors like Boeing and General Dynamics, whose fighter jets and bombs have been used in Israeli strikes on Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. With Israel now escalating military operations in Lebanon, U.S. assistance is expected to grow, with the Biden administration pushing a new $20.3 billion arms deal for Israel. While there is some opposition to this deal, it is expected to pass in Congress.
The report also underscores the broader economic impact of these military activities, noting that rising shipping costs have added an estimated $2.1 billion to global maritime trade expenses, which may ultimately be passed on to American consumers.
