Fact Check: "America sends Israel = $3.8 BILLION a year."
What We Know
The claim that the United States sends Israel $3.8 billion annually is accurate. According to a report from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, this amount is part of a ten-year agreement that totals $38 billion, which is set to expire in 2026. This annual aid includes $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and an additional $500 million allocated for missile defense programs, as detailed in the U.S. Security Cooperation with Israel fact sheet.
The U.S. has a long-standing commitment to Israel's security, with over $130 billion provided since Israel's founding in 1948, primarily focused on military assistance and cooperation to maintain Israel's Qualitative Military Edge (QME) in the region.
Analysis
The evidence supporting the claim is robust and comes from multiple credible sources. The Watson Institute's report explicitly states that the annual aid to Israel amounts to $3.8 billion, confirming the claim. Additionally, the U.S. State Department's fact sheet outlines the specifics of this aid, including the breakdown of FMF and missile defense funding, which corroborates the figures presented in the Watson Institute report.
The reliability of these sources is high. The Watson Institute is a reputable academic institution known for its research on international affairs, while the U.S. State Department is the official government body responsible for foreign relations and aid. Both sources provide detailed and consistent information regarding U.S. aid to Israel, making them trustworthy references for this claim.
While some sources, such as the Congressional Research Service, provide broader overviews of U.S. foreign aid to Israel, they also confirm the annual aid figures, further validating the claim (source-4).
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that the United States sends Israel $3.8 billion a year is accurate. This figure is part of a formal agreement that outlines military and defense funding, and it is supported by multiple credible sources, including government documents and academic research.
