Compared to other nations in the Middle East, U.S. aid to Israel is in a category of its own.
In 2015, the only true democracy in the Middle East will likely receive $3.1 billion in requested aid from the United States. That’s about the amount of aid requested for Afghanistan and Egypt combined.
Vote Now: Should the U.S. Continue to Support Israel?
Through the years,
Israel has been the biggest recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, Face the Facts USA said, with more than $185 billion in military and economic aid received since 1946.
Outside of Israel, from 1946-2010, the U.S. gave Egypt the most money, $114 billion, with Iraq next at $59 billion. Pakistan, at $52 billion, and Afghanistan at $49 billion round out the Top 5 U.S. aid recipients in the region.
Other countries receiving more than $1 billion over those same 65 years include Iran at $13 billion, Lebanon at $3.4 billion, Syria at $2.2 billion, and Yemen at $2.1 billion. Bahrain also received $538 million in U.S. said over that same time period.
On a per capita basis, the contrast of U.S. aid to Israel compared to other nearby nations grows even sharper.
According to Factsandlogic.org, the U.S. gives Israel $378 per capita, with Afghanistan and Egypt receiving $63 and $17 per capita, respectively. Other aid recipients in the region, Pakistan and Nigeria, each receive about $5 per capita.
Be Heard: Should the U.S. Cut Back Israel Support? Vote Here