<p><a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Israel_Lobby_and_U.S._Foreign_Policy[/url]”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Israel_Lobby_and_U.S._Foreign_Policy</a>
Strategic Asset
“Backing Israel is not cheap, however, and it complicates America’s relations with the Arab World.”
“The first Gulf War revealed the extent to which Israel was becoming a strategic burden.”
“In fact, Israel is a liability in the war on terror and the broader effort to deal with rogue states.”
“More important, saying that Israel and the US are united by a shared terrorist threat has the causal relationship backwards; the US has a terrorism problem because it is so closely aligned with Israel, not the other way around.”
“As for the so-called rogue states in the Middle East, they are not a dire threat to vital US interests, except inasmuch as they are a threat to Israel.”
“A final reason to question Israel’s strategic value is that it does not behave like a loyal ally.” </p>
<p>The Moral Case for Support
“There is a strong moral case for supporting Israel’s continued existence, but that is not in jeopardy.”
“Contrary to popular belief, the Zionists had larger, better equipped and better led forces during (list of wars from 1948-1967) - all of this before large-scale US aid began flowing.”
“Today Israel is the strongest military power in the Middle East. Its conventional forces are far superior to those of its neighbors and it is the only state in the region with nuclear weapons.”
“That Israel is a fellow democracy surrounded by hostile dictatorships cannot account for the current level of aid.”
“The country’s creation was undoubtedly an appropriate response to the long record of crimes against Jews but it also brought about fresh crimes against a largely innocent third party: the Palestinians”.
“Yet on this ground (seeking peace), Israel’s record is not distinguishable from that of its opponents.”
“…Yitzhak Shamir, once a terrorist and later prime minister of Israel declared that ‘neither Jewish ethics nor Jewish tradition can disqualify terrorism as a means of combat.’”</p>
<p>On US support for Israel
Economic: According to the authors, Israel is “the largest total recipient since World War II” of US aid. “Total direct U.S. aid to Israel for this period amounts to well over $1.4 trillion from 1973 - 2003 dollars. Israel receives about $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, which is about one-fifth of America’s foreign aid budget.” The authors claim that “This largesse is especially striking when one realizes that Israel is now a wealthy industrial state with a per capita income roughly equal to South Korea or Spain.”
The authors claim that “Israel is the only recipient of US aid that does not have to account for how the aid is spent.” According to the authors, this makes it “virtually impossible to prevent the money from being used for purposes the United States opposes.”
Diplomatic/political: The authors write, “Since 1982, the United States has vetoed 32 United Nations Security Council resolutions that were critical of Israel, a number greater than the combined total of vetoes cast by all the other Security Council members together.” They further posit that the US also “blocks Arab states’ efforts to put Israel’s nuclear arsenal on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s agenda.”</p>
<p>"The authors claim that “Israel is the only recipient of US aid that does not have to account for how the aid is spent.” According to the authors, this makes it “virtually impossible to prevent the money from being used for purposes the United States opposes.”</p>
<p>That’s silly. What possible use could they put the money toward that the U.S. would oppose?</p>
<p>“It’d have been much better if that money were used on poor nations! Still don’t get why American taxpayers need to give money to Israelis.”</p>
<p>Who else in that area can the US rely on for support and assistance? </p>
<p>The US gives lots of money to poorer nations. See World Bank, IMF and the UN. </p>
<p>Are you proposing that if the US broke ties with Israel, then all of the Arab states would substitue strategically? All of the monarchies, dictatorships and military states? Maybe they would allow women to vote and drive? Embrace democracy? Supply the US with military intelligence? </p>
<p>By the way, “rationalwar”, you would get more credibility if you did not create a screen name just to bait people about the Middle East.</p>
<p>“It’d have been much better if that money were used on poor nations! Still don’t get why American taxpayers need to give money to Israelis.”</p>
<p>Who else in that area can the US rely on for support and assistance? </p>
<p>The US gives lots of money to poorer nations. See World Bank, IMF and the UN. </p>
<p>Are you proposing that if the US broke ties with Israel, then all of the Arab states would substitute strategically? All of the monarchies, dictatorships and military states? Maybe they would allow women to vote and drive? Embrace democracy? Supply the US with military intelligence?</p>
<p>Israel needs the US just as much, if not more, as the US needs them. I’d imagine Israel would be more than happy to provide support and assistance even if US doesn’t provide any “aids”. Not giving “aids” doesn’t mean cutting ties. US doesn’t give aids to Britain either!</p>
<p>Given that, it seems to me giving the “aids” to them that they don’t really need anyway seems to do more harm than good to US national interest (e.g. the more “unique” support for Israel the terrorists see the US provides, the more they hate the US). So I just wonder if this policy is still in place because of the powerful (I was told they are) pro-Israel lobby group who probably cares more about Israel than the US.</p>
<p>I find the article very interesting and many of its points convincing. It’s silly to think that Israel WOULDN’T have any goals that don’t jive with the US.</p>
<p>Hm… well how about a huge difference in policies? For instance, the US doesn’t allow any political assassinations whereas Mossad wholly supports this activity.</p>
<p>I’ll do a little more research and get back to you on that. Don’t forget that people don’t always publicize their correct views - especially when funding is at stake.</p>
<p>There are too many instances to copy and paste here but if you are interested in learning more about the examples I refer to in Israel and the US not having identical goals you should read it. The link is below. </p>
<p>Well, then can you name a single instance when this President (or any President) or this Secretary of State or any other came out in public opposition to Mossad political assassination? Or, when it comes to settlements, a single time that U.S. financial support of any kind to Israel was made dependent on an end to settlement construction? (No “benchmarks” for them. ;))</p>
<p>(I think a visitor from outer space might conclude that Israel has several a-bombs in suitcases set up all around Washington, DC, and have used them to blackmail every U.S. Administration since 1967.)</p>
<p>collegialmom, it’s not baiting its discussion. Sorry if your “homies” in AIPAC don’t want to hear it.</p>
<p>Allmusic, Pakistan didn’t get nukes with U.S. Aid, recieved sanctions because of it , on the contrary. </p>
<p>The only country that has no inspection of a nuclear stockpile is Israel.
What’s also interesting, as the paper mentions, is that if Israel is our ally, when is the last time Israel helped us. It seems as if we’re always fixing their problems and putting our money on their territory/</p>
<p>Of course Israel has goals and spends money that don’t help the US, to think otherwise is naive</p>
<p>look at our supposed friends in Saudi Arabia, and where the majority of insurgents in Iraq are coming from, these are our “allies” who gee, dont’ have our best interests at heart either</p>
<p>What I tend to see in these kinds of thread, and in the world, people that think Isreal is right in all they do, and that is it…</p>
<p>And no country is ever right in all they do</p>
<p>“collegialmom, it’s not baiting its discussion. Sorry if your “homies” in AIPAC don’t want to hear it.”</p>
<p>excuse me, what is my affiliation with AIPAC? Please clarify how you know me and what organizations, if any, I represent? What are “homies”? Is that a specific or generic term? Are you in the “hood” with your computer?</p>
<p>“And no country is ever right in all they do”</p>
<p>Except the US.</p>
<p>Do you have any idea what Israel does for the US in terms of technology and intelligence?</p>
<p>I think that is worth a lot to the US. </p>
<p>But, if you all want to rely on Syria, Hamas or Hezbollah for tech and intelligence, go join the wars. I am sure they could use good strong middle-aged volunteers!</p>
<p>Not condoning Mossad’s actions and setting higher standards for ourselves should be enough to “oppose” Mossad’s practice of political assassination. President Ford issued Executive Order (E.O.) 11905 in 1976 which included an explicit prohibition against assassination. President Reagan issued E.O. 12333 in 1981 which states, “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.” </p>
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<p>Once again - brings into the focus the following problem. Circular, isn’t it? From the OP: "The authors claim that “Israel is the only recipient of US aid that does not have to account for how the aid is spent.” According to the authors, this makes it “virtually impossible to prevent the money from being used for purposes the United States opposes.”</p>
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<p>Says who? </p>
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<p>No. Whatever it is, is it worth more than what we do for them? Is it a draw?</p>