FPIF Commentary |
Who's Arming Israel?
Frida Berrigan and William D. Hartung | July 26, 2006
Editor: John Feffer, IRC
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Much has been made in the U.S. media of the Syrian- and Iranian-origin weaponry used by Hezbollah in the escalating violence in Israel and Lebanon. There has been no parallel discussion of the origin of Israel's weaponry, the vast bulk of which is from the United States.
The United States is the primary source of Israel's far superior arsenal. For more than 30 years, Israel had been the largest recipient of U.S. foreign assistance and since 1985 Jerusalem has received about $3 billion in military and economic aid each year from Washington. U.S. aid accounts for more than 20% of Israel's total defense budget.
Over the past decade, the United States has transferred more than $17 billion in military aid to this country of just under 7 million people.
Israel is one of the United States' largest arms importers. Between 1996 and 2005 (the last year for which full data is available), Israel took delivery of $10.19 billion in U.S. weaponry and military equipment, including more than $8.58 billion through the Foreign Military Sales program, and another $1.61 billion in Direct Commercial Sales
During the Bush administration, from 2001 to 2005, Israel received $10.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing—the Pentagon's biggest military aid program—and $6.3 billion in U.S. arms deliveries. The aid figure is larger than the arms transfer figure because it includes financing for major arms agreements for which the equipment has yet to be fully delivered. The most prominent of these deals is a $4.5 billion sale of 102 Lockheed Martin F-16s to Israel.
Given the billions of dollars of aid it provides to Israel every year and the central role of U.S.-supplied weaponry in the Israeli arsenal, the United States has considerable leverage that it could use to promote a cease fire in the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah before more Israeli and Lebanese civilians are killed and displaced. President Bush needs to go beyond vague calls for “restraint” to demands for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, bringing in other key actors in the region, including Iran and Syria.
Click here for the full World Policy Institute report.
TABLE I: U.S. WEAPONS SALES DELIVERIES TO ISRAEL |
Year |
FMS |
DCS |
Total |
2001 |
$766,026,000 |
$4,019,000 |
$770,045,000 |
2002 |
$629,426,000 |
$1,427,000 |
$630,853,000 |
2003 |
$845,952,000 |
$16,455,000 |
$862,407,000 |
2004 |
$878,189,000 |
$418,883,000 |
$1,297,072,000 |
2005 |
$1,652,582,000 |
$1,110,223,000 |
$2,762,805,000 |
2001-2005 TOTALS |
$4,772,175,000 |
$1,551,007,000 |
$6,323,182,000 |
Source: “Facts Book: Department of Defense, Security Assistance Agency,” September 30, 2005.
Key: FMS, Foreign Military Sales; DCS, Direct Commercial Sales. The Facts Books does not make future projections and thus data for 2006 and 2007 is not yet available. |
TABLE II: MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL |
Year |
FMF |
ESF |
Supplementals |
NADR-ATA |
TOTAL |
2001 |
$1,975,644,000 |
$838,000,000 |
-- |
-- |
$2,813,644,000 |
2002 |
$2,040,000,000 |
$720,000,000 |
-- |
$28,000,000 |
$2,788,000,000 |
2003 |
$2,086,350,000 |
$596,100,000 |
$1,000,000,000 |
-- |
$3,682,450,000 |
2004 |
$2,147,256,000 |
$477,168,000 |
-- |
-- |
$2,624,424,000 |
2005 |
$2,202,240,000 |
$357,120,000 |
$50,000,000 |
$210,000 |
$2,609,570,000 |
2006 (estimated) |
$2,257,200,000 |
$273,600,000 |
-- |
$526,000 |
$2,531,326,000 |
2007 (requested) |
$2,340,000,000 |
$120,000,000 |
-- |
$320,000 |
$2,460,320,000 |
TOTALS 2001-2007 |
$15,048,690,000 |
$3,381,988,000 |
$1,050,000,000 |
$29,056,000 |
$19,509,734,000 |
Source: “Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations,” Fiscal Years 2001-2007.
Key: FMF, Foreign Military Financing (direct military aid); ESF, Economic Support Fund (open-ended monetary assistance that can be used to offset military spending and arms purchases; Supplementals are special one-time grants meant as a complement to already allocated aid; NADR-ATA, Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining, & Related Programs. |
William D. Hartung is author of "Tangled Web 2005: A Profile of the Missile Defense and Space Weapons Lobbies" and a senior research fellow at the New School, where Frida Berrigan is a senior research associate. Both are Foreign Policy In Focus scholars.
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Published by Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF), a project of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS, online at www.ips-dc.org). Copyright © 2008, Institute for Policy Studies.
Recommended citation:
Frida Berrigan and William D. Hartung, "Who's Arming Israel?" (Silver City, NM and Washington, DC: Foreign Policy In Focus, July 26, 2006).
Web location:
http://fpif.org/fpiftxt/3387
Production Information:
Author(s): Frida Berrigan and William D. Hartung
Editor(s): John Feffer, IRC
Production: Chellee Chase-Saiz, IRC |
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| Name: |
sk777 |
Date: Jul 26, 2006 |
| Thats not enough, we need to give more money and weapons to israel, 99% of arabia is islamics and 1% is jews when you compare this ratio we are dolling out proportionately.
If there is a world war that is the only ground USA can set foot on and everything else is Moscows. Just based on this we should triple what we are giving.
Just imagine how much USA is giving to terrorists (hisbolla and hamas) millions of dollars in aid so that they can kill Israelis. Terrorists are buying cheap missles with that money to bomb Israel. Forget about what Iran and Sauid funnels, do u think Saudi gives a penny to Israel?
Wake up guys from your rat hole.
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| Name: |
Brett Gillman |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| How could America supply so many weaponries to Israel while it knows very well that these are used against innocents and powerless nations in the name of self-defence as what is happening in Lebanon? Isn't US helping Israel with State Terrorism while it strongly condemn Iran and Syria doing so? Sometimes I keep wondering if Israel is the World's Super Power and US is her servant because of US behavior and bent to protecting Israeli interests in the region, at UN and elsewhere. |
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| Name: |
Willam |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| "Given the billions of dollars of aid it provides to Israel every year and the central role of U.S.-supplied weaponry in the Israeli arsenal, the United States has considerable leverage that it could use to promote a cease fire in the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah before more Israeli and Lebanese civilians are killed and displaced"
Do we still think that US goverment has more power than corporations and arms producers? Oil and War, two of the four largest buisness of the world. |
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| Name: |
Robert E. Carroll |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| How do I as a loyal American disassociate myself from the crimes against humanity caused by, and abetted my government. We as individuals are helpless to stop the crimes being committed, just as the millions of German and Japanese people during the so-called second world war. We too are victims but not yet suffering. |
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| Name: |
Mano De Nada |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| We should be wary of how much uncritical military, political, and economic support we show to a country with a system of government that more closely resemebles apartheid than democracy. Not that we shouldn't support Israel, but blindly so, as the best of bad options? Given the US's history of indigenous genocide we should know better (just as given Jewish history in Europe Israel should know better too). And they may indeed be the most reliable allies in the region, but we'd all be much better off finding a common ground, and the US would be much better off working with all sides, or at least more sypathetic to the Arabic and Persian positions in this matter. Instead we fall into simple traps of good versus bad, without much care for the intracacies and the long history of this situation. Our excessive faith in Israel is a weakness, not a strength; the recent AIPAC spy scandal exhibits this. Israel would sell out the US in a half a second if it was in Israel's interests to do so; we wouldn't be the first empire Zionists have used to further their expansionist aims, only to turn against it when it no longer served their purposes. Check British history with these people and see if you don't find a similarity in behavior.
Conquistadors always find a justification to take from others what they covet, and Israel wants the resources that exist in the West Bank and Southern Lebanon, no doubt.
Cheers! |
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| Name: |
alphonsus boyce |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| In possible answer to Brett Gilman, the USA provides the weapons specifically to be used against innocent and powerless nations. Had they any other intention in mind they would be protesting vigorously now and cutting off aid. After all, what other nation is using sophisticated weaponry against relatively innocent and powerless nations? Just maybe, the USA is exactly what it appears to be. |
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| Name: |
Jeff |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| It's completely true that if there is a World War, the only thing the USA will be able to set foot on in the ME is Israel. Meanwhile no one bothers to ask "Why?" would there be WW3, 9/11, etc. On top of that, there is no way the Saudi's and the US play an analogous role on the international stage. |
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| Name: |
DAN RATHER |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| "Sometimes I keep wondering if Israel is the World's Super Power and US is her servant because of US behavior and bent to protecting Israeli interests in the region, at UN and elsewhere." DING DING we have a winner! I have no problem with Jewish people but they do run everything why woudln't they run the world superpower? AIPAC is mighty strong and IRAQ war was a gift to them. Ever get the feeling you are going to die in the desert in IRAN? By you I mean America. We need to stop messing with others and look at some of our problems here, ore maybe its all a diversion from our own problems. What I woudl like to see is more of a market bing installed in these places, when people work for markets they tend to not want so much volatility. Suicide bombers are only trying to make money, get them interested in capitalism. It is a component of freedom. |
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| Name: |
Fed Up |
Date: Jul 27, 2006 |
| i agree with Brett, and NO! my tax dollars will no longer go to support isreali terrorism, So for me to get "Aid" my family has decided to go on WELFARE thats right! WELFARE and SECTION 8 damn shame i have to hustle and bustle just for my family to survive, in the land my slave fore fathers built!! I dont see isreal talking about slavery! and i dont see them building for the afro americans.... all they do is exploit the black woman on t.v ,with that stupid rap music nonscense!! becuz u know they own the entertainment industry..and here it is, my HARD EARNED money is going to a terrorist org in isreal!!! not any more i say HELL NO WE WONT GO!!! |
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| Name: |
Phil Goldsmith |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| seems to me that the Israleis are very good at killing.
they may be outnumbered in the middle east, but look at the tally.
420 dead leb's to 36 dead Zionists.
and in Gaza its even better 192 to 2.
those isrealis know what to do with the weapons when they get em.
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| Name: |
Mark |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| Bombing inocent civilians, thier homes, the infrastructure they rely on such as bridges, food wherehouses, power stations etc. are acts of TERRORISM. Two wrongs dont make a right. Israel is a terrorist state engaged in state terrorism.
The United States is the willing accomplice. That is the truth. Reacting to terrorism in this manner is exactly the aim of a terrorist commiting a terrorist act. So Israel is in fact perpatuating terrorism by commiting more vile acts of terrorism than Hamas and Hezbolla.
It is only an arrogant fool who will not realise this. You cannot fight terrorism by terrorising the entire civilian population of a nation. Hisbolla will survive and live to fight. If not another will take its place. Wake up and relaise this. |
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| Name: |
Guy |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| SK 777 said wake up Guys from your rat hole. Many people (rat hole or not) KNOW that israel is the artificial creation of the big finance (Rothchild, illuminatis & co ). They commandited the British Through the infamous "balfour letter" to NOMINATE Palestine as the landing place for the so-called Jews.
World war II managed to create a holocaust to soften public opinion in favour of the plan.
The Zionist movement (created by the Rothchilds of course) is rejected by the true International orthodox jew association. They DO NOT recognise Israel. Why? because it is against the scriptures in the tora.
Israel is a Rothchild property run by Zionists to facilitate the increase of their empire. The population of Israel is USED to that aim; they are pawns.
Now sk777 you should try to come out from under that big rock and learn that The Rothchilds, Perles, wolfovitchs, Rumsfelts, Kisingers, and dozens of others working at the white house are not Jews as they claim but ZIONISTS from Europe (Ashkenasis); they are offsprings of a tribe originated north of the caspian sea "the Kazars".
At the end of the first millenium they CONVERTED to judaism. That does not make them Jews, they have no connection to the jews of the old testament, and mostly, THEY ARE NOT SEMITES. That is why the whole thing is a FRAUD.
It is common human sense to despise and oppose an intruder taking by force people's propriety. That is EXACTLY what Isaelies are doing in Palestine continuously since 1948 they have spread terror amongs Palestinians decades before the war on terror was invented. The Israelies use an army (paid by the US tax payers), the Palestinians have none, they are civilian resistents NOT TERRORISTS.
By the way, in the last 60 years or so the armies of the west have been fighting all over the planet, secret organisations like CIA or MOSSAD have assassinated numerous heads of states and fomented fake revolutions in other countries (always) not for your safety. It was for the benefits of the big boys at the top who dont care at all about you.
Arabs are no danger, they have never attacked us, only retaliated when WE GO TOO FAR. The way to peace is to first get rid of racism (which is an expression of fear) and respect other cultures as they are. |
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| Name: |
Stephen Maturin |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| The Israeli Defense Force is the fifth most powerful war machine in the world. Despite comprising only .001% of the world’s population, Israel receives one third of all American foreign aid. They receive the most American military aid of any country on earth, and are the largest buyer of American made weapons. Those are American made M109 155mm self-propelled howitzers firing M110A1 WP white phosphorous incendiary shells and M483A1 DPICM cluster munitions into Lebanese villages, and those are American made F-16 fighter-bombers dropping American made GBU-28 5,000 lb laser-guided bombs upon residential suburbs of Beirut. Israel’s indiscriminate attack on Lebanon unequivocally constitutes a crime against humanity pursuant to the UN Charter, Articles 33, 48, and 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and Article 7 of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Statutes of 1998, differing from Lidice and Guernica only in scope. They are perpetrating this atrocity with American made weapons paid for with American taxpayers dollars under the diplomatic cover of the American Secretary of State and American Ambassador to the UN and with the inane cheerleading of the American President and American Congress. If indeed these are the elected leaders of a free democracy simply expressing the will of the people, by extension that makes every American citizen fully complicit as a war criminal. Words simply cannot express the depth of my grief for the people of Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, or the depth of my shame and revulsion for the United States.
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| Name: |
Frances Greenfield |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
Brett Gillman "Sometimes I keep wondering if Israel is the World's Super Power and US is her servant because of US bhavior and bent to protecting interests in the region, at UN and elsewhere"
Wonder no more. Israel is Americas Master.
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| Name: |
Curtis |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| With both Israelis and Arabs apparently being such strong believers in an eye-for-an-eye justice, there will never be peace in the Middle East. Perhaps the only "solution" would be what has worked during the Cold War -- i.e., M.A.D. (mutually assured destruction). If both sides had parity in arms and troops, hopefully neither side would dare to fire a shot. |
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| Name: |
Larry |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| Whoah! it looked like Israel was overloaded with stockpiles of weapons and somehow they tried to get rid of the old bombs and missiles to get more advanced ones. Alas, they did it the wrong way, on residential apartment buildings in Beirut or UN post. It's sad to see that Olmert has brought himself to the level of bin Laden and Bush. How many people did they kill? How many buildings did they destroy around the world?
Anyway, based on the statistics posted herein, I think by this time next year, the stockpiles will rise again and God knows what will happen.
May God bless the innocent civilians. |
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| Name: |
Neelix |
Date: Jul 28, 2006 |
| It cannot be said enough times: 'Israel... our only friend in the ME... but... before terrorists created it we didn't have any enemies there!' |
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| Name: |
onf |
Date: Oct 13, 2006 |
| Has it ever occurred to anyone that israel fills a money-laundering niche for U.S. politicians? |
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| Name: |
Eye On Zion |
Date: Oct 19, 2006 |
| Americans just dance along to the tunes played to them on their beloved TV sets. Israel aquired its land through force, Israel openly hunts and kills its political enemies, Every year Israeli spies are found in the United states performing espionage on Americans (why?), EVERY major media network including magazines, TV, Hollywood, Newspapers, and radio are owned and managed by Pro Israel activists, people of all races and religions lived in peace within Israel for over 400 years UNTIL Israel declared itself as a Jewish nation.....If these facts were any more in front of you, you would trip over them. I also find it amazing that with all of those weapons and superior arms that Israel STILL hasn't won the war with Palastine who is using ww2 era rockets and throwing stones....It is a testament to how inferior of a soldier the average Israeli soldier is. Turn off the TV and think for your self!! |
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| Name: |
concerned |
Date: Nov 08, 2006 |
| this is nuts...it's all about selling arms and making the NWO rulers more rich. israel has the lastest tech arms and the American troops in Iraq have nothing. israel gets all this money and the Katrina victims are still living in rubble...lets hope the dem's well get something done, but we need them to be honest with us and never let up on them to do as we expect them to. |
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| Name: |
William Tipton |
Date: Nov 10, 2006 |
| Response to concerned, Dems are no diffrent than reps. In this day and age you vote for the liar you expect to disappoint you the least. If one thing good has come out of the U.S. government, (controlled by the world shadow government ie. bilderbergers and such) it is that they have supported Isreal. Dems will repeat history by doing what they are told & tucking tail and running bringing mideast opposition to the home land. We will handle that but our biggest terrorist group to keep your eye on is the U.S. Govt. Most of the middle east issues aired by u.s. media are aired to distract attention from what morals and rights they are taking away from tax payers here at home hour by hour. Read your bible if you want to know how it turns out. It has never been wrong. (Never will be.) |
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| Name: |
elizabeth |
Date: Dec 15, 2006 |
| i think this is all nonsense ISRAEL>>GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE>>...i believe in strongly supporting israel. i think we should be worried about a new world order and the united nations taking over....
..pray for the peace of jerusalem. |
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| Name: |
kasey |
Date: Dec 30, 2006 |
| ISRAEL ALSO SELLS TO THE US AND GIVES THEM TOP STATE OF THE ART WORLD TECHNOLOGT WEAPONS THEY ARE ALLIES AND ISRAEL SUPPORTS THE US MORE THAN YOU KNOW. |
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| Name: |
amused |
Date: Feb 12, 2007 |
| Israel hasn't won yet because it is surrounded by multiple Muslim countries who all support each other in the conquest of Israel. The odds are enormously against Israel yet they are still there and winning too even if it is taking a while. |
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| Name: |
EMAN |
Date: Feb 20, 2007 |
| BEING A MUSLIM AND AND ARAB AMERICAN WHO CAME FORM LEBANON, I CAN TOTALLY AGREE THAT ISREAL SHOULD NOT BE SUPPORTED ON ANY SCALE, THE ONLY EVIDENCE THE ZIONISTS NEED ARE THE POOR INNOCENT CIVILANS LYING DEAD IN THE STREETS OF RURAL SOUTHERN LEBANON FOR BEING THERE AT THE WRONG TIME. ITS NOT THAT THE MUSLIM WORLD HATES JEWS, NOT AT ALL, BUT THE ZIONISTIC BELIEF IS IN NO-ONES INTREST ON ANY SCALE. |
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| Name: |
suprised |
Date: Feb 23, 2007 |
| Don't say that Muslims don't hate Jews because Israel isn't at war just for the heck of it. The Muslim countries in the Middle East don't want Israel to even exist and they will continue to attempt to destroy Israel. |
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| Name: |
Norman |
Date: Mar 22, 2007 |
| which is better, deliver weapons to Israel to kill Arabs chanting "death to Israel and death to America" or deliver weapons to the Arabs to arm Islmic terrorists to kill Americans? When you are threatened with annihilation, war crimes is nothing compared to genocide. |
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| Name: |
fz_ddy |
Date: Apr 13, 2007 |
| its not the matter of muslims destroying israel, but to make them realize that they shouldnt even exist. based on the REAL TEACHINGS OF JUDAISM, they shouldnt have a state of their own. so y are the zionist going against the True teachings and yet nobody is using it as a strong point on the existence of israel? historians? politicians? religious ppl of variuos faiths, who would want to live in world where your kids wont get shot just for going to school, where are you? |
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| Name: |
Stud muffin |
Date: May 25, 2007 |
| The fact is the Jewish refugees of WWII, simply beached huge liners full of folks on Palestinia land. They 'took' that property from peasants and the West has funded them since the beginning. Israel and the progression of this state, our funding and the abuse of these simple people will be the cause of WWIII. 'Chosen Ones' alright! Just like what the US did to the local Indian folk, the money and guns overtook the simple humble folk but remember the last chapter; the first will become last and the last first. |
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| Name: |
jAY |
Date: Jun 01, 2007 |
| all I have to say is for some reason america is supporting israel to protect "itself" but not helping countries in africa but then again how are these poor leaders in africa even get the funds to buy weapons. |
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| Name: |
Concerned |
Date: Aug 08, 2007 |
| The United States should reduce by half the annual amout of billions of dollars given to Isreal each year and spend the money for a health plan for needy american citizens. |
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| Name: |
Groucho42 |
Date: Aug 21, 2007 |
| To Concerned:
The 2007 budget was $2.8 trillion, $700b on defense, $586b on social security, and $394b on medicare. The $30 that was just agreed to is over 10 years, meaning $3b/year.
Yes, national healthcare is needed, but helping the only democracy in the ME is a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed. That you make no mention of cutting funding for Saudi Arabia, Egypt or even NATO (which is mainly funded by the US, not the EU), says you know nothing about either the US budget or the reality in the ME. |
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| Name: |
Abe |
Date: Aug 22, 2007 |
| My country, my shame. Such potential wasted, misguided, and sold to the highest bidder. We could be a leader in the world, offering a way to better life for all nations, instead we offer better ways to kill. It's time for a change. It's time to take back America from the foreign interests that control our policy makers. This can be done by carefully checking on the financial backers of our political candidates. No one should decide how to vote based on what a politician says. Look at the funding and decide if the main contributors are people you trust. Ask yourself, what is the agenda of the big money contributors? The politician will say whatever will get the votes and do whatever will get the money. Americans, let's take back America from the foreign interests, the big banks, and corporations. This is our land, our government, of us, by us, for us. Please everyone reading this, do some searching of political funding for each candidate before voting. We can take our nation back! |
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| Name: |
Phillip |
Date: Sep 24, 2007 |
| How can any rational person take sides with Hezbolla and Hammas. They cheer everytime they kill a bunch of Israeli children. Islam is not a religion! It is a political movement that wants to enslave the whole world. If you don't beleive me listen to some of the teachings of the most influencial mullas. |
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| Name: |
Dismay |
Date: Oct 02, 2007 |
| Any charge you bring against the Palestinian people/nation can be levied against Israel as well. Israelis cheer when bombs land on innocents in Palestine. Both sides are wrong, and both sides have some right as well.
If Israel were left to fend for itself without US aid, they would take on a different demeanor and not be so bold and brash toward its neighbors.
You claim Islam is not a religion but a political movement. Well, what is Israel? What is it to be Jewish? Jewish is a faith, a social structure, a government. Israel is a country run by its religion and belief that they are the "chosen" people of God.
People condemn Islamic countries for tying together religion and politics. Well, then Israel must be condemned for exactly the same thing. And, we the people of the United States need to stop funding a vicious and religiously political state that wants to subjugate its non Jewish neighbors. If Israel could they would exterminate non Jews in the region. Genocide is being practiced by Israel right now, just at a slow pace and with the economic support of the US traitors that have infiltrated our government. There is NO good reason to give that much tax payer money to Israel other than to serve the economic greed of weapons suppliers who donate to politicians campaigns.
Yes, the Mullas teach bad things, but so does Israel. The Tora is full of deceit, back stabbing, lies, greed, power, wealth, and the acquisition thereof. The Jews and the Jewish faith have not love for anyone outside of their chosen circle. Jews tolerate Christians only because Christians continue to support the Jewish expansion cause. In Jewish eyes, Christians are idiots who have been deceived into believing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The Jewish greed and need for power and wealth made them scorn Jesus and Christians because Jesus was a common man from meager upbringing. The Jews Messiah had to be someone of great wealth and power showing all the "bling bling" that a TRUE Jewish Messiah must have.
Israel uses the US for our money and protection, as they don't support any US causes not associated with Israel. The US uses Israel as a bought and paid for puppet to allow wealthy capitalists access to control the region's wealth, and thus gain more power. |
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| Name: |
Dismay |
Date: Oct 02, 2007 |
| Groucho,
You asked, so here is some comparison to show you how much you don't know or are not willing to accept when it comes to unequal and unbalanced aid to Israel in comparison to the rest of the world, let alone the Middle East.
"Anyone can ask one of their representatives in Congress for a chart prepared by the Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress, that shows Israel received $62.5 billion in foreign aid from fiscal year 1949 through fiscal year 1996. People in the national capital area also can visit the library of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Rosslyn, Virginia, and obtain the same information, plus charts showing how much foreign aid the U.S. has given other countries as well.
Visitors will learn that in precisely the same 1949-1996 time frame, the total of U.S. foreign aid to all of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean combined was $62,497,800,000--almost exactly the amount given to tiny Israel.
According to the Population Reference Bureau of Washington, DC, in mid-1995 the sub-Saharan countries had a combined population of 568 million. The $24,415,700,000 in foreign aid they had received by then amounted to $42.99 per sub-Saharan African.
Similarly, with a combined population of 486 million, all of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean together had received $38,254,400,000. This amounted to $79 per person.
The per capita U.S. foreign aid to Israel's 5.8 million people during the same period was $10,775.48. This meant that for every dollar the U.S. spent on an African, it spent $250.65 on an Israeli, and for every dollar it spent on someone from the Western Hemisphere outside the United States, it spent $214 on an Israeli. |
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