US spent record $17.9bln on military aid to 'Israel' since Oct. 7
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A report reveals how the Biden administration engaged in "bureaucratic maneuvering" to obscure the full amounts and types of aid to "Israel".
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A view of the rubble of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on October 10, 2023 (AP)
A report from Brown University’s Costs of War project reveals that the United States has allocated at least $17.9 billion in military aid to “Israel” since the outset of the war on Gaza.
Released on the anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and finalized before “Israel” expanded its aggression on Lebanon in late September, this report is one of the initial assessments of US expenditures as the Biden administration supports “Israel” in its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
Since “Israel” significantly intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon in late September, at least 1,400 people have died. According to the report, the financial estimates were compiled by Linda J. Bilmes, a professor at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, along with researchers William D. Hartung and Stephen Semler, who have evaluated the comprehensive costs of US military engagements since September 11, 2001.
Record military aid to 'Israel'
“Israel”, a close ally of the United States since 1948, has received the largest amount of US military aid in history, totaling $251.2 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1959, according to the report.
Notably, the $17.9 billion allocated since October 7, 2023, is the highest military aid amount sent to “Israel” in a single year, cited the report. The US committed to providing billions in military assistance to both “Israel” and Egypt as part of their 1979 agreement, and a subsequent agreement during the Obama administration has set “Israel's” annual aid at $3.8 billion through 2028.
The US aid to “Israel” since the onset of the war on Gaza includes military financing, arms sales, and at least $4.4 billion from US stockpiles and used equipment. This year, a significant portion of the weapons delivered were munitions, ranging from artillery shells to 2,000-pound bunker-busters and precision-guided bombs.
Expenditures included around $4 billion to replenish “Israel’s” Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems, along with funds for rifles and jet fuel.
Unlike the more transparent military aid provided to Ukraine, the complete details of US shipments to “Israel” since October 7 remain elusive, making the $17.9 billion figure only a partial estimate, as noted by the researchers. The report pointed out that the Biden administration has engaged in "bureaucratic maneuvering" to obscure the full amounts and types of aid.
Support for “Israel” during a war that has caused significant civilian casualties has sparked division among Americans, particularly in the context of the presidential campaign.
However, backing for “Israel” has historically been strong in US politics, and President Biden asserted on Friday that “no administration has helped Israel more than I have.”
