Fact Check: "The United States provides Israel with over 3 billion dollars annually in military aid."
What We Know
The claim that the United States provides Israel with over $3 billion annually in military aid is accurate. According to the U.S. Security Cooperation with Israel fact sheet, the U.S. allocates $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to Israel each year, along with an additional $500 million for missile defense programs. This funding is part of a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) established in 2016, which formalizes the annual military aid commitment.
In total, since its founding in 1948, the U.S. has provided Israel with over $130 billion in bilateral assistance, primarily focused on military aid and security cooperation (U.S. Security Cooperation with Israel). The annual aid has been consistent, with the current MOU covering the years 2019 to 2028.
Analysis
The sources supporting this claim are credible and come from official U.S. government documents and reputable research institutions. The U.S. Security Cooperation with Israel fact sheet is published by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, a division of the U.S. State Department, which provides authoritative information on U.S. foreign military assistance.
Additionally, a report from Costs of War indicates that U.S. military aid to Israel has been substantial over the years, with a total of $251.2 billion adjusted for inflation since 1959. This report corroborates the annual figure of $3.3 billion, emphasizing the long-standing financial support the U.S. provides to Israel.
Other sources, such as the U.S. Facts article, also confirm the annual military aid figure, stating that the U.S. committed over $3.3 billion in foreign assistance to Israel in 2022. This consistency across multiple reputable sources reinforces the reliability of the claim.
While some sources, like Wikipedia (United States support for Israel in the Gaza war), provide general information about U.S. support for Israel, they do not specifically detail the annual military aid figures. Therefore, they are less authoritative than the direct government sources.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that the United States provides Israel with over $3 billion annually in military aid is substantiated by multiple credible sources, including official U.S. government documents. The annual commitment of $3.3 billion in FMF, along with additional funding for missile defense, confirms the accuracy of the claim.
