Do you support giving tax-payer's money to Israel? If so, why?

[David Hume]

I support aids to Ukraine, because they cannot afford the cost to defend themselves against Russia. But Israel is different. They are rich enough compared to their enemy. While terrorists like Hamas must be eradicated, Israel is rich enough to afford that. And they are motivated enough to do it since it's their existential threat. Giving them money won't make them more motivated or more capable than needed. It just makes them pay less, at the cost of the U.S. tax-payers.

While it's true that Israel is an ally, it doesn't mean U.S. tax-payers have to fund their defense, when they can do it themselves. Israel needs U.S. more than U.S. needs Israel. Even if we don't fund them, they will still be an U.S. ally. Most of the U.S. vetos in the UN Security Counsel is about Israel. This is enough leverage for Israel.

3/4 of the money giving to Israel will be going to the military industry complex. So essentially the U.S. tax-payers are buying weapons from the military industry complex and giving them to Israel. I would prefer these money spent to address domestic issues, or simple reduce spending to reduce the inflation and national debt. The military industry complex would already get enough from the Ukraine aids.

[David Hume]

I did after October 7, as we'd do for any other ally, but Netanyahu is out of control and future aide should be conditioned based on working towards de-escalation with both Gaza and Iran.

You support giving money to any ally when they are under attack, regardless of whether they can afford to defend themselves?

[David Hume]

We provide deterrence against Iran . If Iran ever launched a full out attack against Israel , it could cause a WW1 European style war in the Middle East with Iran/Syria/Lebanon on one side and Israel/Egypt/Lebanon on the other .

This could be done without giving a single penny to Israel.

[David Hume]

Most of the money we give to Israel is then used in our own defense sector, and it keeps our relationship with them tight so we get access to their exceptional R&D sector. There's a reason it has largely bipartisan support.

As I addressed in OP,
1, defense sector already get enough money from the Ukraine aid
2, the relationship between US and Israel is tight enough. No additional tax payer's money is needed.

[David Hume]

The US should given triple to Israel than it does to Ukraine.

The US gets to test all the latest military systems - shooting down drone attacks with lasers - iron shield dome stuff - eradicating radical islamic terrorists - without laying a foot on the ground. Isreal do all the work.

The Navy budget of the US in 2024 will be US$212Bn, yet we don't see any naval attacks on Iran or plane dog fights. Nothing. It feels as though the Americans simply rock up and go on the defensive. That is bad for morale and no one will sign up for the defence forces if they can never do anything in an active war zone.

Israel will inevitably be drawn into a huge blue with Iran, and they will need US funding to exist.

Absolutely not. US can test all the latest military systems in Ukraine, or have Israel pay for it, or only give a small amount to Israel just to test it, etc, instead of letting US tax payers pay for Israel en mass.

On your third part, not giving Israel money makes them cautious not to escalate into an unnecessary all front war with Iran.

[David Hume]

If people are willing to give aid to Ukraine, giving it to Israel (a much closer ally and strategically far more important partner) should be a no-brainer.

On Netanyahu: He is the democratically elected prime minister and will be in power as long as the Israeli people want him to. This is none of the US’s business and certainly nothing that should affect its foreign policy in any way. Just like the rest of the world had to accept that the American people elected Donald Trump as its legitimate representative. (The same applies to Orbán, Erdogan, etc.)

The rest of the world are not send aids to the US. If so, they completely have the right to make it conditional on Trump not being president.

UK is a closer ally than Israel, we are not send tax payers money to them, because they don't need it right now. Israel don't need it as well since they can afford it. Ukraine cannot.

Foreign aids should be need based scholarship. You have to be good enough to qualify for that, which Israel is not due to their inhumane treatment to Palestini. You have to be in real need, which Israel is not since they are rich enough to afford it.

[David Hume]

Biden should tie  a substantial portion of aid to Israel to the government not taking actions that seem to depreciate the lives of Palestinians, and not  take over Rafi, which evinces a disregard for the lives of Palestinians, along with Netanyahu’s rejection of a two state solution. Netanyahu is a bad actor who is  acting in a way that is inimical to American values.

Bad strategy.

They do bad things-> we pay to stop them -> they do it again to get more money from us.

Instead, we should punish them for doing bad things, like stop vetoing in UN Security council to protect them, more political pressure, etc.

Once again, Israel needs us more than we need them. Iran is their existential threat, not ours.

Supporting Israel has become a political correctness for politicians. This needs to stop.