ANKARA/ISTANBUL
A prominent Republican US lawmaker introduced a measure to cancel $500 million in funding for Israel's missile defense system, citing the cost of foreign aid amid growing national debt.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene submitted the amendment Thursday during floor debate at the House of Representatives on a Pentagon appropriations package for 2026 that calls for a reduction in funds designated for aid to Israel.
“The United States, the American citizens, are $37 trillion in debt. Yet we're continuing to send hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign aid constantly to foreign countries. This has to end at some point,” said Greene, who is in the same party as President Donald Trump.
“My amendment would strike $500 million in funding for nuclear-armed Israel's missile defense system, and it's important to emphasize it that way. Israel is a nuclear-armed nation, which is very capable of defending themselves, and they have been proving that so as we've watched on the world stage,” she said.
Greene noted that the US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual foreign assistance and a supplemental security package passed in April 2024 allocated an additional $8.7 billion for Israel.
During recent escalations involving Israeli strikes on Iran, Greene said the US used 15% - 20% of its terminal high altitude area defense missiles stockpiles to protect Israel, costing more than $800 million.
“I also want to point out that Israel bombed a Catholic church in Gaza, and that an entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza,” she added, referring to Israel’s deadly attack on the Church of the Holy Family on Thursday, which killed three people and injured several others.
Israel is the second-largest recipient of US aid, behind Ukraine.
From 1946 to 2024, Israel was the largest recipient of US aid.
