The United States has been providing aid to other countries since the rebuilding of Western Europe after World War II, and it primarily does so to advance its national security, economic interests, and geopolitical influence, while also addressing global humanitarian crises. However, that aid is not without controversy, and that is especially true regarding its aid to Israel.
Some have argued that the aid sent to Israel is not always used in a humanitarian or ethical way. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas–the terrorist group that controls Gaza–broke a ceasefire with neighboring Israel by launching a large, coordinated strike on southern Israel. According to the U.S. State Department, “Hamas murdered more than 1,200 innocent men, women, and children — including 46 Americans — in the most brutal terrorist attack in Israel’s history. Alongside these killings, Hamas took 254 hostages, among them 12 Americans.”
As a result, Israel declared war on Hamas, and began a massive air and ground campaign designed to destroy Hamas’s governance and military capabilities, rescue over 251 hostages, and secure Israel’s borders. However, some believe that Israel’s response in Gaza has been disproportionate. For example, on October 3, 2025, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that they had over 67,000 deaths and over 169,000 injuries as a result of Israeli bombings, killing or injuring more than 10% of the people living in Gaza during this conflict.
The Times of Israel quoted the Israel government as saying, “Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques,” adding, “It is unknown exactly how many of the [Gazan] dead are members of terror groups and how many people died directly as a result of the fighting.”
Still, some claim that Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7 attack has resulted in genocide, which is the deliberate, systematic destruction—in whole or in part—of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
According to the Watson School of International Public Affairs, “In the two years since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the U.S. government has spent $21.7 billion on military aid to Israel.”
Some believe foreign aid is a responsibility, while others question whether the U.S. government is accountable if that aid is used to commit genocide, which is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.
The U.S. has supported Israel since the period following World War II, and many believe that this support helps maintain regional stability. The two countries also share political interests, and Israel is often seen as a key U.S. ally and a democratic foothold in the Middle East. Still, U.S involvement has been controversial, as many people question why the U.S. is so deeply engaged in conflicts connected to Israel. Due to the way money is being used–some say for military purposes–it is fast becoming one of the most controversial forms of U.S. global aid.
“U.S. aid reportedly accounted for around 20% of Israel’s defense budget in the years prior to the Israel-Hamas war. Israel, like many other countries, also buys U.S. military products outside of the [Federal Military Financing] program,” notes the Council on Foreign Relations.
The political structure of the Middle East is extremely complex. Even so, it is clear that U.S. aid is not being used in a humanitarian way, especially when reports suggest that 83% of the casualties in this conflict have been civilians, according to The Guardian.
Moreover, some argue that the U.S. should not be giving billions of dollars to any other country, let alone Israel, while it continues to face its own financial and socioeconomic problems at home. So if the U.S. government continues to support countries in need, that aid should be used ethically, and as a nation, we need to make sure it is by monitoring it.
