Former Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling out the U.S.–Israel relationship after the Israeli currency reached a major milestone recently. The Israeli shekel has hit its strongest level against the U.S. dollar in over 30 years, breaking through the three-shekel-per-dollar mark for the first time since October 1995. The development has renewed debate over how much American money flows to Israel each year, and whether that arrangement still makes sense.
Greene, who left Congress in January 2026 after a bitter public split with President Donald Trump, reacted to the news on X. She pointed out that she had tried to pass an amendment to cut American funding for Israel, and that only five other members of Congress voted with her. The post drew significant attention online, partly because Greene had spent much of 2025 becoming one of the most vocal Republican critics of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
“Whyyyyyy do we still give them billions of dollars?” Greene wrote, reacting to the shekel news. Her frustration was rooted in a simple argument: if Israel’s economy is strong enough that its currency is outperforming the U.S. dollar, why are American taxpayers still sending billions overseas?
She tried to cut the money in Congress and almost nobody backed her
That question is not new for Greene. In July 2025, she introduced an amendment to the House’s 2026 defense bill that would have cut $500 million in missile defense funding for Israel. The vote was not close. The House rejected it 422 to 6.
According to The Hill, the only lawmakers who voted alongside Greene on cutting Israel funding were Thomas Massie, Al Green, Summer Lee, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. On the House floor, Greene argued that Israel is “very capable of defending themselves” and that the money is simply funds America does not have. She repeatedly called Israel a “nuclear-armed” state and said its defense capabilities should be enough to protect itself without U.S. help.
AIPAC, one of the most powerful pro-Israel lobbying groups in Washington, called the amendment “reckless” and said the overwhelming vote against it sent a clear message about bipartisan support for Israel.
The numbers behind U.S. aid to Israel are significant. Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the U.S. has spent at least $21.7 billion in direct military aid to Israel. That figure does not include tens of billions more in arms sale agreements committed for future delivery.
The Council on Foreign Relations cites the Israeli Defense Ministry as stating that the U.S. had sent 90,000 tons of arms and equipment on over 800 transport planes and 140 ships between October, 2023 and May, 2025. On top of that, the Trump administration used emergency authority to fast-track arms to Israel, fast-tracking nearly $4 billion in additional weapons to Israel in early 2025.
Israel’s entire fleet of combat aircraft comes from the United States, including F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s. American money has also helped fund Israel’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and other missile defense systems that have been central to its military operations across the region.
Greene’s criticism of the U.S.-Israel relationship was one of several things that pushed her out of Trump’s inner circle. She became the first Republican lawmaker to publicly call Israel’s campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” a label that put her sharply at odds with her party.
She also tried to pass multiple measures to cut off U.S. aid to Israel, and she proudly said she had never taken money from AIPAC. Greene has also been vocal about her faith guiding her political decisions, which made her growing split with the Republican establishment all the more striking. Trump eventually called her a “traitor” and announced he would back a primary challenger against her. She resigned from Congress in November 2025, effective January 5, 2026.
In her resignation letter, Greene made her position on foreign aid clear. “America First should mean America First and only Americans First, with no other foreign country ever being attached to America First in our halls of government,” she wrote.
The backdrop to all of this is a growing international and domestic debate over U.S. support for Israel. Multiple countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, and others, are involved in a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Israel has also placed the United States in difficult positions through reckless actions, at times making it appear more like a liability than an ally.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in late 2024. Germany halted military exports to Israel in 2025 that could be used in Gaza. Polls now show a plurality of Americans favor reducing military aid to Israel, with younger voters especially skeptical of the current level of support.
Published: Apr 22, 2026 05:42 am