Foreign aid, at little more than 1 percent of the federal budget, is an essential, cost-effective tool for promoting American interests abroad and supporting our critical allies. This is especially true in the Middle East, where aid to Israel has long been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and a cost-effective way of serving America's national security interests in this critically important region. U.S. security assistance to Israel is the most tangible way that the United States helps Israel maintain its military superiority and counters the great disparity in defense spending between Israel and potential adversaries in the Middle East.