Sustained by a continuous flow of billions of dollars annually and transfers of cutting-edge technology, the diplomatic and military axis defines the balance of power in the Middle East
The Middle East’s security structure and frictional borders operate under the weight of a bilateral relationship unparalleled in modern diplomacy. To understand how the historic alliance between the USA and Israel began and what weapons the Americans supply to the ally is the objective starting point for analyzing the longevity of military operations in the Gaza Strip, the clashes in southern Lebanon and the direct containment against Iran. Between October 2023 and the end of 2025 alone, the American government granted more than US$21.7 billion in emergency military assistance to Tel Aviv, a contribution that guaranteed the restoration of ammunition and the maintenance of Israel’s tactical superiority on multiple simultaneous fronts.
From Truman’s reconnaissance to the airlift in the Yom Kippur War
The rapprochement between the two nations was not born under a mutual defense treaty. On May 14, 1948, President Harry S. Truman granted American diplomatic recognition to the State of Israel minutes after its declaration of independence, but the first decades were marked by occasional arms embargoes and geopolitical caution. The inflection towards a robust military partnership began during the John F. Kennedy administration, in 1962, with the authorization of the sale of the first Hawk anti-aircraft missiles.
The definitive transformation of the relationship into an unshakable strategic alliance occurred during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973. Caught by surprise by a coordinated offensive by Egypt and Syria, the Israeli Army suffered massive losses of armor and aircraft in the first days of combat. To prevent the ally’s collapse in the context of the Cold War, President Richard Nixon authorized Operation Nickel Grass, a logistical airlift of gigantic proportions that dropped thousands of tons of weapons, tanks and ammunition on Israeli soil. The episode crystallized the American state policy of guaranteeing Israel’s “Qualitative Military Advantage” (QME) against any coalition of neighboring countries.
The flow of military technology and the maintenance of Israeli air superiority
Unlike NATO partnerships, the American agreement with Israel is based primarily on the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. The legislation requires that the majority of funds granted to Israel be spent on the United States’ own weapons industry, creating a logistical cycle that deeply integrates the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with American defense manufacturers.
The composition of the arsenal provided by Washington
- Combat Aviation and Force Projection:
- Squadrons of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters (Israel operates the customized F-35I Adir variant and has dozens of units on order).
- Backbone fleet of F-15 and F-16 fighters.
- Bombing and precision systems:
- MK series unguided bombs, including the heavy MK-84 (2,000 pounds) and MK-82 (500 pounds).
- JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) kits, which convert gravity bombs into GPS-guided munitions.
- Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and 155 mm artillery shells.
- Anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense network:
- Co-production and financing of interceptor batteries for the Iron Dome system, aimed at short-range rockets.
- Engineering support for David’s Sling medium and long-range systems and the Arrow family of interceptors, designed to shoot down ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Memoranda of understanding and the financing of contemporary battlefronts
The regular financial foundation of this relationship is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a ten-year agreement that provides the basis for the transfer of funds. The current pact, signed during Barack Obama’s administration for the period from 2019 to 2028, guarantees Israel US$3.8 billion annually, with US$3.3 billion for general military purchases and US$500 million specifically earmarked for anti-missile defense programs.
The scenario worsened exponentially after the start of the conflict in Gaza in late 2023. The US government and Congress circumvented the memorandum ceiling through supplemental appropriation packages. In an environment of intense debates over the Leahy Law — which theoretically prohibits the supply of weapons to foreign military units involved in human rights violations — the American executive branch continued to authorize emergency shipments and billion-dollar contracts for future deliveries, approving packages that provide for the replenishment of fleets and radars until the next decade.
The American diplomatic shield at the United Nations Security Council
The protection guaranteed by Washington transcends the material battlefield and materializes in the architecture of international law. As one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United States regularly exercises its veto power to shield Israel from coercive resolutions, arms embargoes and ceasefire demands that Tel Aviv deems unfavorable to its strategic objectives.
The weight of this diplomatic tool was evident in the series of votes held between 2024 and the beginning of 2026. On repeated occasions, projects drafted by non-permanent members of the council and supported by the overwhelming majority of the international community were summarily blocked by American diplomats. Washington’s legal justifications generally argue that such resolutions fail to demand the dismantling of Palestinian armed groups, ignore the Israeli right to self-defense, or attempt to impose a permanent ceasefire unrelated to the immediate release of hostages. The practical result of these vetoes is the paralysis of the only UN body with the power to determine mandatory interventions.
As the year 2026 advances and preliminary negotiations for the next ten-year package (post-2028) appear on the American political horizon, the military interdependence of both countries remains unchanged. Despite specific political fissures on Capitol Hill and growing pressure from international law, the legal, industrial and diplomatic infrastructure that unites the United States and Israel demonstrates institutional resilience immune to partisan transitions in Washington, ensuring the continuity of the projection of Israeli military power in the most volatile environment on the globe.
