It seems Israel is doing just fine economically and technologically. So I don't get why US politicians still justify giving out O($billion) every year in foreign aid while there are ample opportunities to spend them in their own country.

Cause all the aid is conditioned on them using it to buy US military hardware. It's roundabout military spending.

> Cause all the aid is conditioned on them using it to buy US military hardware

Not true, only 3/4 of it. And it's not an explanation, otherwise they could give the same aid to any other country, but they don't.

"Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II."

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf

Because if you just gave billions of dollars to Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon people would complain. So you give it to someone and make them buy from these guys.

you give aid to political allies that share a common view of what democracy is about, and face high military threats.

Budget for this lunar mission is probably extremely small compared to military spendings.

> share a common view of what democracy is about

So the US view of democracy is apartheid? Interesting.