The US wants to end aid to Israel but replace it with something worse

Americans’ support for Israel is declining at an unprecedented pace in the wake of U.S.-backed atrocities in Gaza, its invasion of Lebanon, and the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. So it’s hardly surprising that Washington is moving to end U.S. military aid to the country.

What might surprise Americans, however, is that this plan is backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and some of the loudest pro-Israel hawks in Congress. Why, exactly? Because the ongoing effort to “end” U.S. military aid to Israel is not actually a plan to end American backing for Israeli aggression in the Middle East. It’s part of a broader plan to shield the U.S.-Israeli relationship from public scrutiny and congressional oversight by moving it into the black-box bureaucracies of the Pentagon and the intelligence community.

On the latest episode of Always at War, we break down two pieces of legislation, tucked into Congress’ “must pass” national security bills, that would further integrate the U.S. and Israel’s military and intelligence operations, while putting this cooperation and collaboration out of sight for most Americans.

The first is the "US-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative," which would replace annual votes on military aid with a durable fusing of the U.S. and Israeli military sectors by embedding Israeli technology into U.S. defense supply chains and installing a dedicated Pentagon official whose sole job is to push for deeper integration. The second is the “United States-Israel Intelligence Sharing Enhancement,” introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), which would legally require the president to expand intelligence sharing with Israel at the very moment the Defense Department has raised its counterintelligence threat assessment of Israel to its highest level ever.

Eighty-four percent of Americans want restrictions on U.S. support for Israel. But the Washington war party’s answer isn't to listen to their constituents’ concerns; it’s to move our dysfunctional relationship with Israel out of sight. Will Americans really be fooled by this slight-of-hand? Not if we can help it!