My recent trip to Washington as part of the Yes! Israel Project resulted in genuinely encouraging news. Guided by the simple principle that a strong, secure Israel helps America remain strong and secure, we met with members of Congress and senior staff, and raised the issue of moving away from the outdated paradigm of U.S. foreign aid to Israel.
America’s current $3.8 billion annual aid package has in many ways become a pair of golden handcuffs. Even though the dollars are spent in America’s manufacturing plants, supporting American workers and producing defense systems that benefit both countries, the political narrative has shifted. Increasingly, voices on both sides of the aisle frame the aid as “money sent to Israel,” ignoring the fact that it fuels American industry and strengthens America’s defense capacity.
Apparently, facts no longer matter. Instead, perception counts, though it is being weaponized.
How so? Americans are being conditioned to resent the idea of foreign aid. And Israel is being singled out, even though it is the only aid recipient to deliver a measurable return on investment to the United States. A recent report by the American Jewish Committee notes that Republicans who campaign on “America First” policies lump aid to Israel together with all other foreign aid, focusing on U.S. interests as their guiding principle. They are averse to any automatic commitments and support Israel only when it aligns with American interests.
Compare this to a lack of outrage over billions in aid sent to Egypt and Jordan, funds that generate little to no reciprocal technological or strategic return for America. Yet aid to Israel—100% of which is spent inside the United States—has become a flashpoint. The double standard is glaring, as is the antisemitism exposed in the public arena.
The solution is straightforward: End the current foreign-aid framework and replace it with a partnership model based on trade, joint research, co-development and shared production. Instead of “aid,” establish bilateral defense and technology agreements that formalize what is already happening: two advanced allies innovating solutions together. This shifts the optics from dependency to collaboration.
The response in Washington was overwhelmingly receptive.
The seeds of this conversation were planted last year on a visit with Israeli Likud Party Knesset member Amit Halevy. I will never forget what one congressman told us then. He leaned forward, energized, and said this shift was not only wise but urgent. In his words, Israel must become fully capable of producing everything it needs independently.
Why? Because the day will come—sooner than most of us want, given the political shifts inside America—when the United States will no longer be able to supply critical systems or weapons to Israel. And when that day arrives, America itself will feel the consequences, because U.S. security is directly tied to a strong and secure Israel. The Jewish state stands on the front line of the freedom-loving world, pushing back the red-green jihadi alliance seeking to destabilize and ultimately conquer it. Without Israel holding that line in the Middle East, the front line does not disappear; it moves closer and faster, toward the United States itself.
That perspective has only deepened.
This year, multiple members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate expressed concern about internal changes within America: growing online campaigns turning its citizens against Israel, and the broader struggle to counter the growing jihadi Muslim communities across the United States. This could push the country in the direction of Western Europe, endangering Americans and eroding support for Israel politically. Several lawmakers acknowledged openly that strengthening Israel’s independence is not only good for Israel; it is a strategic hedge for the United States.
This is good news. It signals a maturation of the alliance. Instead of transactional aid, we must move toward strategic integration. Instead of dependency optics, we embrace co-production and co-innovation. Instead of political vulnerability, we build resilience.
Israel has proven itself, repeatedly, not as a burden but as a force multiplier. Its battlefield experience, intelligence capabilities and technological innovation strengthen the U.S. military and save American lives. The next phase of the alliance must reflect that reality.
The U.S.-Israel relationship is too important to be reduced to line items in an appropriations bill. It is a partnership of sovereign allies confronting shared threats to the entire freedom-loving world.
And from what I saw in Washington, many leaders understand that the time has come to structure it accordingly.
