Enforcement of
U.S. law concerning weapons exports and the disbursement of military aid are subject to highly politicized interpretations of concepts like “legitimate self-defense” and “safeguarding internal security.” As illustrated by
Israel’s July 2006 war in
Lebanon and its 2008–2009 Operation Cast Lead in
Gaza, Washington has essentially allowed
Israel to define “self-defense” however it chooses. This overview of U.S. military aid to Israel, including weapons sales and related support of its domestic military industrial complex, examines in detail the mechanisms through which aid is funneled, the restrictions on aid that do exist, and the uses to which U.S. military aid has been put—particularly in terms of Israel’s military operations and its exports abroad.