US approves $3.3 billion in military aid for Israel

The total real value of U.S. assistance to Israel is substantially greater than the funds established by a 10-year memorandum of understanding

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that includes $3.3 billion in military aid for Israel.

The funds, in the form of foreign military financing (FMF), were approved amid rising tensions in the region, with US President Donald Trump considering new attacks on Iran.

Israel attacked Iran in June, in a 12-day conflict that culminated in the US bombing of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

The National Security, State Department and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Act of 2026 was approved as part of a “minibus” legislative package — so called because it brings together several budget proposals. The NSRP allocates approximately $50 billion to the State Department, foreign aid, and security assistance.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) welcomed the passage of the law.

“The pro-Israel provisions in this bill further reinforce the unwavering, bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel partnership in Congress,” AIPAC said in a statement.

“These capabilities help ensure that our ally can confront common strategic threats and that the United States has a strong and capable ally in the heart of the Middle East,” the statement added.

Additional support for Israel

Unlike foreign military sales, whereby countries use their own sovereign wealth funds to purchase American weapons systems, FMF is a program in which the American taxpayer purchases weapons from defense companies on behalf of a foreign country.

Israel is the largest beneficiary of the FMF. The 10-year deal, under which Israel receives approximately $3.3 billion in taxpayer-funded weapons, expires in 2028 and needs to be renegotiated.

Since the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza, Israel has actually received a much larger defense subsidy from the US, totaling nearly $34 billion, according to a report published by Brown University.

That report included the Federal Military Forces (FMF) under the 10-year agreement and the additional support provided to Israel after the attack on Gaza and Iran began.

The report also took into account the US military intervention alongside Israel in Yemen, in addition to the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June and Israel’s defense against Iranian ballistic missiles.

The NSRP also includes a ban on U.S. funding for the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, and an outright ban on funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, passed in December, also allocated substantial funding to Israel, including $500 million for missile defense, $80 million for “anti-tunnel” operations, and $70 million for the US and Israel to jointly combat drone threats.

Originally published by Middle East Eye on 1/16/2026