In a recent address, President Joe Biden pledged to seek congressional approval for military funding to Israel, reinforcing the United States’ unwavering support for the nation in the wake of a devastating attack by Hamas on October 7. While the desire to stand with Israel in these trying times is certainly understandable, the editorial board believes it is essential to scrutinize the implications of such aid and its legal and moral standing. The stark reality is that unleashing military force in Gaza, a densely populated and heavily blockaded territory, is a recipe for civilian casualties. The precision required for military operations in such conditions is nearly impossible to achieve, leading to avoidable civilian harm. It is imperative to recognize that decimating a two-million-person refugee camp will not bring back the Israeli lives lost on October 7, nor will it serve as a fitting response to the perpetrators. The death toll in Gaza has already surpassed the tragic Israeli casualty figures. For decades, the United States has maintained a default position of providing military aid to Israel, regardless of the country’s track record of human rights abuses against Palestinian civilians. Israel stands as the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II, receiving nearly $160 billion in economic and military support between 1946 and September 2023.
Notably, military aid has continued to rise in recent years. Annual military aid increased from $2.1 billion for fiscal years 1999-2008 to $3.8 billion for fiscal years 2019-2028. A portion of this funding, $500 million, is allocated for missile programs under the Pentagon’s purview, while the remaining $3.3 billion stems from the State Department’s budget, specifically through the Foreign Military Financing program, effectively enabling Israel to purchase U.S.-made weaponry and material annually. Congress habitually augments this preset annual allocation through supplemental legislation. Presently, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is poised to introduce a bill for “supplemental funding for Israel’s defense.” However, it is crucial to recognize that Israel is far from a needy underdog, ranking fifteenth globally in military spending and set to receive an additional $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2024. Furthermore, Israel maintains a substantial military advantage not only over Hamas but the entire region.
The legal constraints are also evident. The Foreign Assistance Act bars U.S. assistance to nations with “a consistent pattern” of human rights violations. Israel’s decades-long occupation and systematic persecution of Palestinians, labelled as “apartheid” by human rights organizations, underscore these sustained violations of international law. The Arms Export Control Act stipulates that the United States can only supply weapons for “legitimate self-defense.” Instances such as Israel’s 2021 use of U.S.-made bombs in the bombardment of international news offices, residential apartments, and refugee camps hardly fit the definition of self-defense. The editorial board asserts that providing additional U.S. military aid to Israel should be a matter of legal and moral concern. U.S. law is unequivocal about withholding military aid from nations with a history of human rights violations. Turning a blind eye to past abuses effectively grants Israel a green light to perpetrate further human rights violations in the days and weeks ahead. It is incumbent upon us to re-evaluate this relationship with unwavering commitment to the principles of justice, legality, and humanity.
