From Air Force jets to nuclear ambiguity: The dependence on the US goes far beyond aid money

The US midterm elections revealed a deep rift in US-Israel relations, with a sharp decline in Democratic support. Israel's dependence extends beyond annual aid of 12 billion shekels and includes American weapons, joint defense systems, and private investments of about $95 billion in high-tech. Damage to relations could paralyze Israel's security and severely harm its economy.

Hanan Steinhart analyzes Israel's deep dependence on the US, which goes far beyond the annual financial aid of about 12 billion shekels. The article focuses on the US midterm elections in November 2026, in which the Democrats won by a much larger margin than expected, attributed in part to "tremendous revulsion and great lack of sympathy for Israel" according to President Trump. The author notes that since the Yom Kippur War, Israel has enjoyed a unique status in Washington, but recent polls show a sharp decline in Democratic support: 80% of Democrats hold a negative view of Israel, compared to 53% in 2022. Military dependence includes 751 open "sales cases" worth $39 billion, a full fleet of American aircraft and helicopters, and defense systems like Iron Dome and David's Sling developed jointly. Beyond that, private investments from the US in Israeli high-tech over the past decade total about $95 billion, and the sector constitutes about 18% of GDP. Damage to relations could erode Israel's reputation and reduce future investments, with severe consequences for the economy.