Few expected United States President Donald Trump to abandon Israel during his second term in office, considering how supportive he had been of the Middle Eastern country in his first term.
And yet, considering the still-mounting death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, and the international condemnation that has accompanied it, his continued full-throated support for Israel has unnerved some in the president’s base.
To them, the support is doubly offensive in the face of a still struggling economy, a mounting affordability crisis, spiralling healthcare costs and a US government shutdown, all while US aid to Israel has continued without pause.
That aid goes beyond the financial. It extends to blocking measures to criticise Israel at the UN, holding its leaders to account under international law, and even punishing those taking unilateral action against Israel, such as the International Criminal Court, which continues to be heavily sanctioned by the US.
So how extensive is US support for Israel, and just how much might that backing cost both Trump and his Republican Party?
A lot.
Washington has been giving Israel $3.8bn per year to spend on US weapons under a 10-year commitment overseen by former US President Barack Obama in 2019.
In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington would be sending $4bn in emergency military assistance to Israel. He proudly said the Trump administration had approved $12bn in US military sales to Israel since taking office, framing it as a departure from the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, who himself was overwhelmingly pro-Israel.
According to the latest report by the Cost of War Project, published in October, the US has given Israel more than $21bn since its genocidal war on Gaza began.
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