The latest Israeli election has exposed political divisions over the regime’s leadership but little prospect of a fundamental change in its dependence on American military funding. With 99.5 percent of votes counted, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc secured 53 seats, while the main opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48. Neither secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority, leaving coalition negotiations to determine the next government.
Despite their political differences, both camps remain committed to maintaining the flow of American military assistance, raising serious questions about Washington’s priorities and the price ordinary Americans are being forced to pay for the Israeli regime’s military ambitions.
Under the current 10-year agreement, covering fiscal years 2019 through 2028, the United States pledged $38 billion in military assistance to Israel, subject to congressional appropriations. Of that amount, $33 billion was allocated through Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants, allowing Israel to purchase American weapons with money provided by US taxpayers.
The scale of this financial commitment is substantial. Defense Security Cooperation Agency data show that nearly $13 billion, or 90.5 percent, of US arms transfers to Israel between fiscal years 2020 and 2024 were financed through American FMF grants. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), these annual grants account for approximately 14 percent of Israel’s overall defense budget.
The financial burden has grown further amid the genocide in Gaza and Israel’s expanding regional military operations.
Al Jazeera reported earlier this month that the United States had approved $33.16 billion in arms transfers to Israel since October 2023, with almost all of the transfers financed through American military assistance.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s stated intention to reduce Israel’s dependence on direct American aid offers little prospect of meaningful financial independence. Joint weapons programs, including David’s Sling and Iron Dome, remain heavily dependent on US funding. The CRS has also warned that Israel’s reliance on American-made fighter aircraft, missile defense systems and military supply chains will make a transition away from US assistance difficult.
Nor would an Eisenkot-led government necessarily change this arrangement. Eisenkot has indicated that he would continue seeking the $3.8 billion in annual American military assistance. He has also praised Trump’s decision to join the Israeli regime in striking Iran, describing the US president’s decision as “courageous.”
For American taxpayers, the political implications are increasingly costly.
With more than $32 trillion in publicly held federal debt, the United States faces mounting fiscal pressures, yet Washington continues to prioritize military commitments to a highly developed foreign state. Trump’s unwavering support for Israel, including the approval of additional powerful bombs, suggests that this spending is unlikely to decline.
Ultimately, a change of leadership in Israel may do little to change the financial equation: American taxpayers will continue financing Israel’s military capabilities and regional wars, while the economic costs and domestic consequences of the “Israel first” approach remain a burden on American society.