How Much Money Has The United States Given To Isra

Untold story of US assistance to Israel

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On Dec. 21, the U.s.a. Congress passed the COVID-19 relief package as part of a larger $2.3 trillion neb intended to comprehend spending for the rest of the fiscal yr. As usual, US representatives allocated a vast sum of coin to Israel.

While unemployment and poverty levels in the U.s.a. are skyrocketing equally a effect of repeated lockdowns, Washington found it essential to provide State of israel with $three.iii billion in "security assistance" and $500 million for US-State of israel missile defense force cooperation.

Although a meagre $600 payment to help struggling American families was the subject of several months of intense debate, there was little word among US politicians over the large funds handed out to Israel, for which there are no returns.

Support for State of israel is considered a bipartisan priority and for decades has been perceived as the most stable item on the United states of america foreign policy agenda. The mere questioning of how Israel uses the funds — whether military aid is being 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.

One of the few members of Congress to demand that assist to State of israel be conditional on the latter's respect for man rights is Bernie Sanders, the Democratic senator who has twice sought presidential nomination for the party. "Nosotros cannot give (aid) carte blanche to the Israeli government — we have the right to need respect for man rights and commonwealth," Sanders said in October 2019.

His Democratic rival Joe Biden, now president-elect, quickly countered. "The idea that I'd withdraw military aid, as others take suggested, from State of israel is bizarre," he said.

It is no secret that Israel has been the world'southward leading recipient of U.s. aid since the 2nd Earth War. According to the U.s.a. Congressional Research Service, State of israel has received $146 billion of U.s. taxpayers' money as of Nov 2020.

From 1971 until 2007, the majority of these funds proved key in helping Israel establish a strong economical base. Since and then, most of the coin has been allotted for armed services purposes, including the security of Israel'southward illegal Jewish settlement enterprise.

Despite the Us fiscal crisis of 2008, money continued to be channeled to State of israel, whose economy survived the global recession largely unscathed.

In 2016, the Usa promised even more aid. The Obama administration, often mistakenly seen as hostile to Israel, increased US funding by a meaning margin. In a 10-yr memorandum of understanding, Washington and Tel Aviv reached a deal whereby the Us agreed to give Israel $38 billion in military aid covering the financial years 2019-2028. This is a whopping $8 billion increment compared with the previous x-twelvemonth understanding, which ended at the finish of 2018.

The new US funds fall into two categories: $33 billion in foreign armed services grants and an additional $5 billion in missile defense.

Usa generosity has long been attributed to the unmatched influence of pro-Israeli groups, lead amongst them the American State of israel Public Affairs Committee. However, picayune lobbying has been required past these groups in the by iv years every bit powerful agents within the administration itself became State of israel's top advocates.

Despite the U.s.a. financial crunch of 2008, money continued to be 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, information technology is now considering ways to accelerate the timetable of delivering the remainder of United states funds equally determined by the last agreement, which currently stands at $26.4 billion. According to official congressional documents, the US also may approve additional sales of the F-35 fighter jet, and accelerate commitment of KC-46A refueling and transport shipping.

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

For case, between 1973 and 1991, $460 1000000 of US funds was allocated to resettling Jews in Israel. Many of these new immigrants are now the very Israeli militants who occupy the West Depository financial institution illegal settlements. In this instance, the money was paid to a private charity, the United State of israel Appeal, which passes it on to the Jewish Bureau. The latter has played a central role in the founding of State of israel on height 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 "taxation-deductible gifts for Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem," co-ordinate to The New York Times. Much of the money, falsely promoted as donations for educational and religious purposes, often finds its way to funding and ownership housing for illegal settlers, "equally well as baby-sit dogs, impenetrable vests, rifle scopes and vehicles to secure (illegal Jewish) outposts deep in occupied (Palestinian) areas."

Quite often, United states of america coin ends upwardly in the Israeli government coffers under faux pretenses. For example, the latest stimulus parcel includes $50 meg to fund the Nita Thou. Lowey Center East Partnership for Peace Funds, supposedly to provide investments in "people-to-people exchanges and economical cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of supporting a negotiated and sustainable ii-state solution."

Actually, such coin serves no particular purpose, since Washington and Tel Aviv endeavor to ensure the demise of a negotiated peace understanding and work hand-in-manus to impale the now-defunct two-country solution.

The listing is endless, though most of this coin is not included in the official Us aid packages to Israel and, therefore, receives little scrutiny, allow lone media coverage.

As of Feb 2019, the US has withheld all funds to the Palestinian Authority in the W Bank, in addition to cutting help to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees, the concluding lifeline providing basic didactics and health services to millions of displaced people.

Judging by its legacy of support for the Israeli military machine motorcar and the colonial expansion in the West Banking company, Washington insists on serving equally Israel's chief benefactor, if non straight partner, while shunning Palestinians birthday. Expecting the US to play a constructive role in achieving a simply peace in Palestine shows not simply indefensible naivety merely also wilful ignorance.

• Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books, the latest beingness "These Chains Will Be 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 exercise not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/1784061

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