How Much Money Do We Give Isreal

Untold story of US assist to Israel

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On Dec. 21, the United states Congress passed the COVID-19 relief parcel as function of a larger $two.3 trillion neb intended to cover spending for the rest of the fiscal year. As usual, US representatives allocated a vast sum of coin to Israel.

While unemployment and poverty levels in the U.s. are skyrocketing as a outcome of repeated lockdowns, Washington found it essential to provide Israel with $iii.3 billion in "security assistance" and $500 million for US-State of israel missile defence cooperation.

Although a meagre $600 payment to help struggling American families was the subject of several months of intense fence, in that location was little discussion among United states of america politicians over the large funds handed out to Israel, for which there are no returns.

Back up for State of israel is considered a bipartisan priority and for decades has been perceived as the most stable item on the US foreign policy calendar. The mere questioning of how State of israel uses the funds — whether military aid is beingness actively used to sustain its illegal occupation of Palestine, finance Jewish settlements, fund annexation of Palestinian land or violate Palestinian human rights — is a major taboo.

Ane of the few members of Congress to demand that assist to State of israel exist conditional on the latter'due south respect for human rights is Bernie Sanders, the Democratic senator who has twice sought presidential nomination for the political party. "We cannot give (help) carte blanche to the Israeli government — we have the correct to need respect for human rights and democracy," Sanders said in October 2019.

His Democratic rival Joe Biden, now president-elect, apace countered. "The idea that I'd withdraw military aid, as others have suggested, from Israel is bizarre," he said.

Information technology is no secret that Israel has been the globe's leading recipient of Us aid since the Second Earth War. Co-ordinate to the US Congressional Research Service, Israel has received $146 billion of United states taxpayers' coin as of November 2020.

From 1971 until 2007, the bulk of these funds proved central in helping Israel establish a strong economic base of operations. Since then, most of the coin has been allotted for military purposes, including the security of Israel's illegal Jewish settlement enterprise.

Despite the US financial crisis of 2008, money continued to be channeled to Israel, whose economy survived the global recession largely unscathed.

In 2016, the U.s.a. promised fifty-fifty more than aid. The Obama administration, often mistakenly seen as hostile to Israel, increased The states funding by a pregnant margin. In a 10-yr memorandum of understanding, Washington and Tel Aviv reached a deal whereby the U.s. agreed to give State of israel $38 billion in military assist covering the financial years 2019-2028. This is a whopping $8 billion increase compared with the previous 10-year agreement, which concluded at the finish of 2018.

The new US funds fall into two categories: $33 billion in foreign war machine grants and an boosted $5 billion in missile defense.

US generosity has long been attributed to the unmatched influence of pro-Israeli groups, lead among them the American State of israel Public Affairs Commission. However, little lobbying has been required past these groups in the by iv years as powerful agents within the administration itself became Israel's acme advocates.

Despite the US financial crunch of 2008, coin continued to exist channeled to Israel, whose economy survived the global recession largely unscathed.

Ramzy Baroud

Aside from the seemingly endless "political freebies" that the Trump administration has given Israel in contempo years, it is now because ways to accelerate the timetable of delivering the residual of United states of america funds as determined by the concluding agreement, which currently stands at $26.4 billion. According to official congressional documents, the Us too may approve additional sales of the F-35 fighter jet, and accelerate delivery of KC-46A refueling and send aircraft.

These are not the only funds and perks State of israel receives. Much more goes unreported since it is channeled indirectly or simply promoted nether the flexible championship of "cooperation."

For instance, between 1973 and 1991, $460 million of The states funds was allocated to resettling Jews in State of israel. Many of these new immigrants are now the very Israeli militants who occupy the West Bank illegal settlements. In this case, the money was paid to a private charity, the United Israel Appeal, which passes it on to the Jewish Agency. The latter has played a central function in the founding of Israel on top of the ruins of Palestinian towns and villages in 1948.

Under the guise of charitable donations, tens of millions of dollars are regularly sent to State of israel in the form of "tax-deductible gifts for Jewish settlements in the Westward Bank and East Jerusalem," according to The New York Times. Much of the money, falsely promoted as donations for educational and religious purposes, oftentimes finds its way to funding and buying housing for illegal settlers, "as well as guard dogs, bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and vehicles to secure (illegal Jewish) outposts deep in occupied (Palestinian) areas."

Quite ofttimes, Us money ends upward in the Israeli government coffers under false pretenses. For instance, the latest stimulus package includes $50 million to fund the Nita Thousand. Lowey Middle Eastward Partnership for Peace Funds, supposedly to provide investments in "people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of supporting a negotiated and sustainable 2-state solution."

Actually, such money serves no item purpose, since Washington and Tel Aviv endeavor to ensure the demise of a negotiated peace agreement and work hand-in-hand to kill the now-defunct 2-state solution.

The listing is countless, though nearly of this money is not included in the official United states assist packages to Israel and, therefore, receives little scrutiny, let solitary media coverage.

Every bit of Feb 2019, the U.s.a. has withheld all funds to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, in addition to cutting aid to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees, the last lifeline providing bones educational activity and health services to millions of displaced people.

Judging by its legacy of support for the Israeli military and the colonial expansion in the Westward Bank, Washington insists on serving as Israel's master benefactor, if not direct partner, while shunning Palestinians birthday. Expecting the US to play a constructive role in achieving a merely peace in Palestine shows not just indefensible naivety but as well wilful ignorance.

• Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of v books, the latest beingness "These Chains Volition Exist Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Disobedience in Israeli Prisons" (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Twitter: @RamzyBaroud

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this department are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

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