Written by Shafika Husseini and Stephanie Bandugla

To date, the United States has aided “Israel” with over $310+ billion of funding since 1948.

Given “Israel’s” economic strength and status as a developed nation, it should not qualify for such excessive American aid. The Zionist occupation has shown consistent GDP growth over the past decade, low unemployment rates, and has achieved budget surpluses or managed small deficits. The Zionist entity also has a highly developed technology sector that has boosted its economy.

In contrast, the United States has consistently seen trillion-dollar deficits and rising unemployment rates, as it struggles to meet the needs of its citizens regarding education, healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, affordable housing, and more. From 2022-2024, “Israel” had an 11% increase in its required spending to continue affording its settlers luxuries to live on stolen Palestinian land - which includes social services such as higher education, health, welfare, and increased pensions. In 2022, “Israel” recorded a budget surplus of 0.6% of GDP. As of 2024, the average American has $22,713 in personal loan debt, mostly from credit card and auto loans (excluding mortgages). Instead of the U.S. government spending on domestic issues, it continues to equip a terrorist occupation whose GDP has risen over time since 1995 (see graph below).

Furthermore, there was significantly increased spending on “Aliyah,” a Zionist occupation incentive program, over the past five years due to rising immigration numbers. In 2021, the budget for “Aliyah” was approximately $135 million, which included expenses for flights, housing, and “integration” programs. In 2022, due to increased immigration from Russia and Ukraine, the government allocated additional funds, raising the budget to about $200 million, a 128% increase, for “Aliyah”-related activities. Our tax dollars and American aid are driving the colonization of Palestine. The United States is not only complicit but actively funding the genocide in Gaza, allowing Zionist Israel to commit horrific war crimes and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians while continuously providing funding for the settler colony of Israel to commit war crimes and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians continually.

The Publicly Approved Aid to the Settler Colony highlights the extensive and ongoing financial and military support provided by the U.S. to Zionist Israel. It details both pre-existing and recent legislative actions that have significantly increased this support, especially in light of events post-October 7, 2023. The Pre-Existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), established before October 7, 2023, commits $3.8 billion annually in military aid through 2028 as part of a long-term support plan. Following October 7, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of April 2024 was passed, allocating an additional $8.7 billion for "urgent needs." This bypassed the regular budget process, indicating the critical and time-sensitive nature of these funds.

In March 2024, further legislation provided another $3.8 billion as part of the usual support mechanisms, bringing the total publicly approved aid to at least $16.3 billion, including the ongoing MOU funding. Beyond publicly disclosed amounts, there have been over 100 reported non-public arms sales and military aid transfers since October 7, 2023. While the exact value remains undisclosed, it is known that at least $250 million in publicly disclosed transfers occurred, further solidifying Zionist Israel's position as the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid in history. The Strategic Stockpile within ‘Israel’ has also seen expedited deliveries, and the Iron Dome Missile Defense Systems have been leased by the U.S. to 'Israel,' though financial terms remain undisclosed.

The Historical Context reveals that from 1948 to 2023, the U.S. has provided approximately $310 billion in aid (adjusted for inflation), including around $80 billion in economic aid. This underscores the deep-rooted and long-standing financial support that has fueled the occupation and colonization of Palestine. This makes the Zionist settler colony the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid in history.

The United States is misusing taxpayer dollars to fund a genocide rather than improving its quality of life and prosperity.