Congresswoman Greene calls for canceling $500 million in military aid to "nuclear Israel."

Washington - Saeed Erekat

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-GA) said she will introduce an amendment to remove $500 million in military aid to “nuclear Israel” from the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, marking a rare admission by a member of Congress that Israel possesses nuclear weapons.

The United States pursues a policy of ambiguity regarding Israel's nuclear weapons program, neither acknowledging its existence nor pressuring Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel is estimated to possess between 90 and 300 nuclear weapons.

"I'm going to introduce an amendment to allocate an additional $500 million to nuclear Israel. And it's important to say nuclear Israel because they already have nuclear weapons," Greene, a hardline conservative, said on conservative media personality Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast. "And we already give them $3.4 billion a year from the State Department. $3.4 billion a year. They don't need another $500 million in our defense budget. This is for the defense of the American people."

The United States provides Israel with $3.8 billion in military aid annually under a memorandum of understanding signed between Israel and the Obama administration. Of this amount, $3.3 billion is provided through the State Department's Foreign Military Financing program, and $500 billion goes to missile defense through the Pentagon.

The United States also provided more than $22 billion in additional military aid after October 7, 2023. According to Israeli media, the United States has funded nearly 70% of Israel's war-related military spending since then.

Representative Greene emphasized the importance of recognizing Israel's possession of nuclear weapons. "I think it's very important to put it this way: A nuclear-armed Israel doesn't need an additional $500 million from the American people. Our government bombed Iran on their behalf and destroyed their nuclear program," she said.

The ambiguity surrounding Israel's nuclear weapons program allows the United States to provide military assistance without worrying about the Symington Amendment, a foreign assistance law that prohibits assistance to countries that trade nuclear enrichment equipment or technology outside the scope of IAEA safeguards.

Greene added that she would introduce amendments to cut military aid to both Taiwan and Jordan. "Another amendment, $500 million to Taiwan. I would introduce an amendment that would eliminate that. We give them $300 million a year at the State Department. They just got $2 billion, $2 billion in 2024, in supplemental foreign aid under the Biden administration," she said. "I would introduce an amendment to eliminate $500 million for Jordan. Jordan doesn't need it. They get $1.6 billion a year from the State Department. So I would introduce amendments to eliminate those amounts."