American volunteers for the Israeli army have partied with Ben Shapiro in Boca Raton, met with House Republicans Brian Mast and Mike Lawler in Washington, and joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams at Gracie Mansion. On a Manhattan rooftop late last year, they sipped cocktails and reconnected with people they’d met before — supporting Israel in its campaign of bombing, displacement, and starvation in Gaza.

These efforts were organized by Nevut, a New York-based charity supporting American “lone soldiers” who sign up for the Israeli military. Among its upcoming events is a wellness retreat to Panama for lone soldier veterans who served in the Israeli military during its ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has killed more than 58,000 people — nearly half of them children — according to Gaza’s health ministry. Other estimates put the death toll at 80,000 or higher.

Nevut, which operates across 22 states, is one of at least 20 U.S.-based charities directly funding lone soldier programs. Since 2020, according to The Intercept’s analysis of their tax forms, these organizations have spent over $26 million to recruit and support lone soldiers from initial drafting to reintegration. The groups provide subsidized apartments, therapy, wellness retreats, and equipment to Israeli military units.

The Intercept reviewed five years of tax documents that show 2023 was the most lucrative year on record for lone soldier programs. After Israel began calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack, U.S. donors poured funding into the organizations. Each year from 2002 to 2020, between 3,000 and 4,000 lone soldiers served in the Israeli military, about a third of them from North America. Since October 7, 2023, it is estimated that 7,000 lone soldiers from the U.S. alone have either signed up or returned to Israel to serve.

The programs have helped to prop up an Israeli military now facing its biggest recruitment crisis in decades. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drags the assault on Gaza through its second year, civilians have protested his government and soldiers have refused to show up for reserve duty. With an estimated 100,000 Israeli soldiers refusing service, volunteers from the U.S. and other countries provide reinforcements. Last year, the Israeli military estimated that at least 23,000 American citizens were currently serving, a combination of lone soldiers and Americans who immigrated to Israel with their families.

On social media, Nevut and other organizations post pictures, videos, and testimonies from lone soldiers serving in Gaza. Earlier this month, Nevut promoted a video advertising a day at a shooting range as “a little dose of enjoyable fire.” A man wearing military tactical gear says: “All the guys here serve in the IDF; a majority serve in the war in Gaza.”

Another Instagram video encourages lone soldier veterans to reach out if they’re thinking of going back into combat. One Nevut post advises viewers on “What not to ask a lone soldier,” including: “Did you kill anyone?” “How many people died over there?” and “Were you in Gaza or Lebanon?”

“These can potentially feel like dismissive, political, or emotionally charged questions,” the post warns.

While the United States’ steady supply of weapons

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