Why Does America Spend So Much on Israel? | 5 Minute Video

With so much that must be done at home in the United States, why does America send so much of its resources to Israel? It’s a fair question, but according to U.S. Gen Chuck Wald, America doesn’t spend enough on Israel. Watch to understand why.

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Script:

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Script:

Why do we spend so much money on Israel?

Over my decades of military service, as the Deputy Commander of United States European Command and now as a security advisor, I’ve often heard people make this complaint.

The truth is we don’t spend enough. We should spend more. And for purely selfish reasons.

Every dollar we spend on Israel is a dollar spent, in effect, in our own defense. As a value proposition, it’s all in America’s favor.

Let me explain, but before I do let me say this:

I can easily defend why America supports Israel on moral grounds alone.

I’ve been there on numerous occasions. It’s a good and decent country. Given the neighborhood it lives in, I find that both remarkable and admirable.

But I will make this argument solely on the basis of America’s security.

Our partnership with Israel is unique.

Unlike most of our current treaty alliances -- say with South Korea -- our ties with Jerusalem are not premised on American troops serving as tripwires on Israel’s frontlines.

This is because Israel takes care of itself.

America, for good reason, remains wary of any further military engagement in the Middle East. And this only strengthens the case for giving Israel the tools it needs to defend its borders.

Here are three things we can do – again, all in our own self-interest.

First, the United States should front load its financial commitment to Israel.

We have agreed to provide Israel $38 billion in defense assistance over ten years. That’s a big number, but it’s also a great deal – for America.

In addition to giving Israel the financial wherewithal to purchase the weapons it needs, it also benefits the American economy. Under the agreement, Israel must spend these funds on U.S. products. And it’s happy to do so. Without adding a cent to the total, the United States should “front-load” this assistance to reflect the changing strategic situation in the Middle East, specifically the rising danger presented by Iran and its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas.

An accelerated timetable would allow Israel to acquire critical capabilities like more F-35 air attack squadrons, more air refueling tankers and more precision munitions. It will need this hardware to defend itself and American interests against these persistent, and growing, threats.

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