It is unlikely that the US will stop its military aid to Israel – since it advantages from it

The Democratic National Convention featured quite a few outstanding speakers and musical performances that focused exclusively on unity and the trail to a more hopeful future.

But that Happiness is overshadowed by a division inside the Democratic Party in reference to Israel's war within the Gaza Strip. called from some delegates for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to support a stop US military aid to Israel.

While the pro-Palestinian protests surrounding the convention have smaller than some expectedChicago Police At least 72 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested on August 20, 2024.

These activists are Call for a US arms embargo on Israel, the brand new national program of the Democratic Party doesn’t include.

Amy Lieberman, political editor of The Conversation US, spoke with Dov Waxmanan Israel expert to higher understand the background of the US relationship with Israel and the strategic the reason why an arms embargo is a distant possibility at best.

Do you think that Kamala Harris will conform to calls for an arms embargo against Israel?

I don’t think she is going to agree with those that call for an arms embargo against Israel.

First, Kamala Harris, as Vice President and before that as Senator, has at all times supported American military aid to Israel. This attitude is typical of most members of the Democratic Party and likewise of most Republicans.

Opponents of US military aid to Israel often argue that this aid is solely a function of domestic politics and undermines the facility of pro-Israel lobbyparticularly AIPAC. I believe that view is short-sighted and exaggerates the facility of the pro-Israel lobby. It ignores the proven fact that the US has its own economic and strategic reasons for providing this military aid. It is a US national interest, not simply a favor to Israel, and that’s the reason there may be broad, bipartisan support for continuing this military aid.

Although an arms embargo is unrealistic, there are other things which are more realistic than an arms embargo, equivalent to conditioning or restricting military aid – and there may be a growing debate amongst Democratic lawmakers about it.

How does U.S. aid to Israel help the United States domestically?

When the USA provides military aid to IsraelThe Israeli government doesn’t put this money into its own pocket. Most of the cash that the US distributed to Israel yearly have to be spent on American weaponsThis generally applies to American Military aid to other countries, equivalent to Ukraine.

The American weapons that Israel buys are produced in factories all around the United States, so many American politicians have an interest in maintaining this aid because the cash ultimately flows to their very own states and creates jobs there.

What was US aid to Israel like up to now before the Gaza war?

Historically, Israel has received more US development assistance than another country. The US has provided Israel with over $300 billionThis amount is adjusted for inflation.

In the primary decade after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 The US only provided economic aid to Israelbut starting within the Sixties, in the course of the Kennedy administration, additionally they began to supply military aid. Today, the United States only provides military aid to Israel.

After Israel’s victory in Six-Day War of 1967When Israel demonstrated its ability to decisively defeat the Soviet allies within the region, the United States significantly increased its military aid to Israel. This was in some ways a turning point for US-Israel relations, because since then the United States has viewed Israel as a useful ally.

Another significant increase in US military aid to Israel occurred under the Nixon administration within the late Sixties and early Nineteen Seventies. This is notable because Nixon not an incredible friend of the Jewish peopleBut he increased US aid to Israel due to its strategic interest for the US

Since then, US military aid has increased steadily increase through the yearsand last 12 months has risen after Hamas October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel and subsequent Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.

I believe the predominant reason for this continued military aid to Israel under each Democratic and Republican administrations is that it serves the US national interest.

To what extent does US aid to Israel serve America’s national interests?

A militarily strong Israel helps the USA within the fight against their common enemies.

During the Cold War, Israel helped contain the spread of Soviet influence within the Middle East. For example, after Israel defeated Egypt within the wars of 1967 and 1973, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat left the Soviet alliance and Ally of the USAand ushered in an extended period of American hegemony within the region.

After the Soviet threat receded after the Cold War, Israel’s strategic value to the United States decreased. However, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, it increased again as Israel’s long-standing Experience in counterterrorism and his famous Information gathering skills.

More recently, during the last decade, Israel has worked with the United States to counteract the expansion of Iranian influence within the region and decelerate Iran’s nuclear program. Although the 2 allies disagreed on tactics – particularly the Nuclear agreement of 2015 with Iran – each see Iran's growing power within the region as the best threat to regional stability and each want to stop Iran from having nuclear weapons. For the USA, a militarily strong Israel is mandatory to stop Iranian expansionist efforts.

Israel not only has the strongest military within the region it is usually the one long-standing democracy there – although a seriously flawedfor my part. So from the US perspective, Israel may help the US achieve its strategic goals within the region without the American military itself having to send troops there and achieve this. Israel can also be perceived as a more reliable and fewer problematic ally than the US's other major allies within the region, equivalent to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Ultimately, although Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and his war within the Gaza Strip Although it has alienated and angered many Democrats, particularly progressives, most Democratic politicians, including Harris, still consider that supporting Israel is within the U.S. interest. And that providing military aid to Israel continues to be seen as one of the best ways for the United States to do this.

The real query is whether or not the United States should exercise greater oversight or control over the usage of American weapons.