Even before Tuesday's blue tsunami doused Capitol Hill and lapped up on the White House steps, the U.S.-Israel relationship fell into disarray. "We were giving them $4 billion," Donald Trump said Tuesday morning, "but it gets cut off at the end of the year." "Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an [Michigan Democrat Abdul] El-Sayed when they don't need it?" he asked. "It's a bad talking point." Wednesday morning, J.D. Vance claimed that the midterm became a rout because 2024 Trump voters were disaffected by the Iran war, cost of living increases, an abandonment of America First, and the relationship with Israel.
Failures of this magnitude have many causes, and the finger-pointing is already going at full tilt. If Israel's critics have their way, however, America's problems will get worse.
Defense aid to Israel is controversial. Some Americans oppose foreign aid in toto. Others believe that the aid is only useful as a source of leverage, and since it has not stopped the Jewish state from shooting back at its enemies, it should be scrapped. Screeches emanate from the fever swamps that the funds Israel receives reveal some kind of dark hold the Jewish state has over Washington.
These arguments range from wrongheaded to unhinged. Israel is the largest recipient of defense aid in terms of dollars, but other countries host tens of thousands of U.S. troops. Paying for some of Israel's purchases of our military equipment has promoted U.S. interests in the region without putting nearly as many Americans in harm's way.
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