Ending military aid to Israel would be good for Israel and bad for America

Supporters of Israel long warned it was becoming a partisan issue. We have finally passed the point of no return. For Democrats, Israel has become a litmus test. Among very liberal voters, the bloc that decides any Democratic primary, 70 percent view Israel unfavorably, worse than Iran or China.

Candidates are rushing to signal they will be tough on Israel, if not back a full arms embargo. Even Rahm Emanuel, a likely 2028 candidate with deep ties to Israel, told Bill Maher: “The days of taxpayers subsidizing Israel militarily, that’s over. No more financial aid.”

In April, 40 of 47 Senate Democrats voted to block weapons sales to Israel, up from 24 in 2025 and 19 in 2024. The self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace organization J-Street has dropped its support for the annual aid package, including for Iron Dome interceptors. Its president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, declared that “the era of a blank check support for Israel is over.”

The left sees ending aid as distancing from an unpopular ally. The right calls it “America First.” Both miss the strategic reality: Ending the $3.8 billion aid package would probably help Israel, and it would clearly hurt America. 

Israeli analysts have been arguing that the aid had become more of a burden than a lifeline, but for politicians, it was a sacred cow. That changed this year, when Netanyahu openly said he wants to “taper off” the aid until it reaches zero. 

Israel just approved a record defense budget of roughly $45.8 billion. The American package now amounts to 8 percent of what Israel already spends on its own defense. That is meaningful, but nothing like the lifeline it was in past decades, when it exceeded 25........

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