‘We still give them billions’: Marjorie Taylor Greene is shocked Israel is challenging America’s hegemony
Who’s going to tell her?
Marjorie Taylor Greene just threw a fit on X because Israel’s economy is doing too well. On April 21, 2026, she posted: “Whyyyyyy do we still give them billions of dollars???” She followed it up with a reminder that when she tried to pass an amendment to defund Israel, only five other members of Congress voted with her. Her outburst came after BRICS News reported that the Israeli shekel hit a 30-year high against the US dollar.
The shekel’s surge is real. According to the New Arab, on April 22, 2026, Israel’s currency traded at 3.014 to the dollar, the strongest it’s been since 1995. That’s right – three decades since the shekel was this powerful. The last time it broke below three shekels to the dollar was back in the mid-90s, and now it’s flirting with that same threshold again.
If you’re wondering why this is happening, the answer isn’t just one thing. It’s a mix of a weak dollar, a surprisingly resilient Israeli economy, and some serious growth in sectors like military exports and space tech.
The shekel isn’t just gaining on the dollar; it’s holding its own against other currencies too
Asher Blass, a former chief economist at the Bank of Israel, said that the dollar’s overall weakness is part of the story. The shekel isn’t just gaining on the dollar; it’s holding its own against other currencies too, though not as dramatically. But the bigger picture is that Israel’s economy is doing better than a lot of people expected, especially considering it’s been at war for more than two years.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) even called Israel’s economy “notably resilient” in February. They’re projecting GDP growth of 3.5% in 2026, which is actually faster than the 3.1% growth the country saw in 2025. That growth isn’t coming out of nowhere. Military exports are a huge part of it, along with other high-tech sectors like space technology.
But there’s a catch. The war between Israel and Iran, which kicked off in late February and is currently paused due to a two-week ceasefire, could throw a wrench in things if it starts back up. Blass warned that if hostilities resume, Israel’s defense spending would skyrocket, and that could put a dent in the economy. For now, though, the shekel is riding high, and that’s got Greene fuming.
In 2025, Greene had said she wasn’t happy about the US sending even more money to Israel
According to The Hill, during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room, she said she’d be entering amendments to strip $500 million in additional aid to Israel from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Her argument? Israel isn’t some helpless country. She pointed out that the U.S. already gives Israel $3.4 billion every single year through the State Department. “They don’t need another $500 million in our defense budget,” she said.
Greene wasn’t shy about calling out the fact that Israel is nuclear-armed, either. Her comments came at a tense time in U.S.-Israel relations. The U.S. had just struck Iranian nuclear sites, and there was a lot of back-and-forth over a ceasefire in Gaza. Greene wasn’t the only right-wing figure pushing back against U.S. support for Israel.
Rep. Thomas Massie had also criticized the administration’s Iran strikes, making it clear that not everyone in Congress is on board with the status quo. However, Greene’s amendment to defund Israel didn’t go anywhere. Only five other members of Congress voted with her, which is why she’s still complaining about it nearly a year later.
The shekel’s strength isn’t just a financial story; it’s a political one
Israel’s economy is thriving despite the chaos, and that’s making some people in the U.S. uncomfortable. Greene’s tweet is basically saying, “Why are we still bankrolling a country that’s doing just fine on its own?” It’s a fair question. The U.S. gives Israel billions every year, and for Greene, that money could be better spent elsewhere. Israel’s economy is growing, its currency is strong, and it’s not exactly begging for help.
That’s not to say Israel doesn’t face risks. The war with Iran is still looming, and if it ramps back up, defense spending could eat into that growth. But for now, the shekel’s surge is a sign that Israel’s economy is more resilient than a lot of people expected. And that’s got Greene, and probably a few others, wondering why the U.S. is still writing such big checks.
The bigger picture here is that U.S.-Israel relations are getting more complicated. The U.S. has been Israel’s biggest ally for decades, but that relationship is starting to show some cracks. Israel isn’t the struggling underdog it once was, and that’s changing the dynamic. Whether that leads to real policy changes remains to be seen, but for now, Greene’s tweet is a pretty clear sign that not everyone in Congress is happy with the status quo.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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