CAIR Challenges Trump to "Put America First" as Report Reveals $30 Billion in Military Aid to Israel
The Council on American-Islamic Relations requests that President Trump redirect military funding from foreign operations to support American citizens because Brown University research indicates the United States has spent at least $30 billion on Israeli military operations in Gaza and Middle Eastern battles since October 2023. The organization requires the administration to redirect these funds toward supporting domestic requirements, which include healthcare services, educational institutions, and infrastructure development.
Unprecedented Military Aid Surge
The Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson Institute tracked $21.7 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel between October 2023 and September 2025, which exceeded six times the annual average of $3.8 billion. The Gaza conflict led to a record-breaking $17.9 billion in military aid during its first year, according to William Hartung, who co-authored the study and works as a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The funding included $6.8 billion in Foreign Military Financing $4.5 billion for missile defense systems, and $4.4 billion to replace U.S. strategic stockpile weapons delivered to Israel. The U.S. spent between $9.65 billion and $12.07 billion on Middle East operations in Yemen, Iran, and other regional areas, which added to the total Middle East conflict expenses of $31.35 billion to $33.77 billion.
Trump Administration Bypasses Congressional Oversight
The Arab Center, Washington, D.C., reports that President Trump has increased military aid to Israel through new oversight-free procedures. The Trump administration used emergency powers to speed up $4 billion in weapon sales to Israel during March 2025, thus becoming the second instance of congressional review avoidance within six weeks.
The Arab Center documented how Trump bypassed Congress to deliver billions of dollars worth of military equipment to Israel for the second time in six weeks, while he also lifted the Biden-era ban on MK-84 bomb deliveries and abolished National Security Memorandum 20, which enforced international law compliance from weapons recipients.
The administration seeks congressional backing for a $6.4 billion weapons deal, which includes 30 Apache helicopters and more than 3000 infantry assault vehicles that would increase Israel’s helicopter numbers by almost half. The weapons delivery timeline extends to two to three years ahead, but the United States maintains its ongoing military support to Israel.