December 3, 2018
The Jewish conundrum: If America only knew
America to Give Israel $10.4 million per day:
“That Money could send our kids to college.”
Co-authored:
Arthur Scott & Forrest Cioppa
Between 1948 and 2012 the US aid to Israel has totaled more than $233 billion dollars, adjusted for inflation. (https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-true-cost-of-israel/).
In the last 10 years alone, Israel has received $30 billion dollars. For the next 10 years Israel, already the 4th strongest military power in the world, is guaranteed $38 billion dollars in military aid by a billcurrently making its way through congress (H.R.5141). It is notable that this bill is hardly mentioned in the US press, yet it is the largest aid package ever granted by the US taxpayers.(https://israelpalestinenews.org/time-for-media-to-tell-americans-about-the-bills-in-congress-to-give-israel-38-billion/).
This amounts to giving Israel $10.4 million dollars a day,every day for the next 10 years; the equivalent of giving each Israeli family of 4 a total of $23,000. (https://israelpalestinenews.org/time-for-media-to-tell-americans-about-the-bills-in-congress-to-give-israel-38-billion/).
It’s estimated that 20 percent of the $16 billion Israeli military budget is paid by American taxpayers.This is reportedly more than what Israeli citizens pay for their own defense. The recently installed Iron Dome Defense system alone cost American taxpayers $1billion.(https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-true-cost-of-israel/).
In addition, Washington has provided Egypt and Jordan with another $121 billion which comes to a yearly amount of $3.1 billion dollars to maintain a peaceful coexistence with Israel.(https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/11/politics/us-foreign-aid-report/index.html).
For average Americans, such a financial largesse would be like winning the lottery. This is equivalent to giving every Israeli family of four $23,000/year.Imagine the impact that these dollar amounts would have in raising the standard of living for Americans, especially todaywhere 40% of the country isofficially classified as poor. Quality of life would be vastly improved by this amount including education, medical, ecological, infra-structure, housing and jobs.(https://www.metro.us/news/the-big-stories/working-poor-40-percent-americans-cant-afford-basic-necessities).
The Israeli influence is so pronounced that Senator Joseph Lieberman averred that Congress would never act against Tel Aviv.The question is – how is it possible that Americans are so unaware of this astronomical drain on our coffers?
American financing of Israel began with the inception of the Israeli state declared by David Ben-Gurion on May 14,1948, which was immediately recognized byPresident Harry S. Truman at the behest of Abraham Feinberg and other Zionists.
American support for Israel substantially increased with the Six Day War in 1967, and again in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Both events were viewed by Israelis and American Jews as an existential threat to their state that led to the organization of an intensemedia lobbying action in Washington directed at assuring the continuation of the Israeli state from being destroyed by the neighboring Arabcountries.Out of this collective fear emerged AIPC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee) whichhas the responsibility to coordinate Israeli lobbying activity in America.
Alison Weir, a leading scholar on this matter,declared before the Council for the National Interest:
“The Israel lobby is one of the most powerful and pervasive special interest
groups in the United States. It consists of a multitude of powerful institutions
and individuals that work tirelessly to influence Congress, the president, academia,
the media, religious institutions, and American public opinion on behalf of Israel.”
- (www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/new/)..
Some of its major arms are:
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee popularly known as AIPAC. It has an endowment of $100 million and operational budget of $60 million much of which is used to lobby Congress in favor of Israel.
- Israel Political Action Committees. There are about 30 PACSscattered across the country that pour millions into lobbying efforts to maintain Washington support for Israel. Dollar amount unavailable.
- Conference of Presidents (COP) which is comprised of 51 key Zionist organizations all of whom are linked with differentAIPAC committees. Their war chest is $2.2million.
- American Israeli Education Foundation(AIEF). It has a budget of $26 million and is responsible for wining/dining Congressmen and Congresswomen about the cultural/geopolitical importance of Israel to America.
- Washington Institute for Near East Policy. An Israeli think tank that provides White House/Congress with Middle East policy papers, and often writes Israel position papers for Congress. Endowmentestimated to be $23.5 million.
- Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Richly endowed at $115 million. It acts as a check on Israeli critics, and has even introduced Congressional legislation on hate crimes making it illegalto criticize the apartheid practices of Tel Aviv today. It’s part of COP. As a gatekeeper, it has evenexposed US Immigration/Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Israel security practices regarding border control impacting thousands of Latinos.(https://ifamericaknew.org/us_ints/introlobby.html).
Christian Groups:
Since the election of PresidentRonald Reagan in 1980 the Christian Right, including southern Baptists and Evangelicals, have rallied in support of Israel. In their theology, the “End of Times ”the Second Coming of Jesus is drawing near. The expectation of Jesus` return to Jerusalem leads pastors/ministers to urge their 20 million faithful to support Israel regardless of the discriminatory practices that prevails within Israel.
Most Evangelicals(white/black) believe that the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 was a Biblical event signifying the return of Jesus. This explains their robust support for Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by establishing the American Embassy there, as well as the continued Jewish onslaught against the Palestinians (children/elderly) in Gaza that borders on terrorism.
Indeed, Evangelicals see Trump’s improbable victory as an act of divine intervention. Their world is white, Christian, hierarchical, sexist, moral and anti-globalist,Islam phobic. The pulpit and Talk radio, religious/secular, has been their main vehicle in disseminating their pro-Israel stance as Twitter has been for Trump.Alex Jones, an ultra-rightist talk host has an immense following.(https://www.google.com/search?ei=BpCFW6ysNon_0gLYlLyIAw&q=alex+jones+show+on+israel+palestine&oq=alex+jone)
Simultaneously, Evangelical Christian funding for Israelhas risen dramatically over the years,estimated at $175-200 million. These monies have been particularly helpful to the growth of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which represents for them another religious marker pointing to Jesus’ return and the “end-of-times. ”The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is a major player in building bridges of solidarity between thetwo based on biblical beliefs.
The other force that drives Christian giving is the Mullahs of Iran, Islamic Fundamentalism in particular, and Islam in general. Islam is portrayed as an existential menace to both Christian America and to Jewish Israel. The Christian Right believes that America and Islam are pitted in anapocalyptic life and death global struggle for civilization.
This attitude in part explains Trump’s arbitrary decision to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran despite the protest of the other signatories including Russia, China and other major European powers, including Britain, Germany and France.
Netanyahu has been pressing Washington since the days of Saddam Hussein to be more belligerent toward Teheran as a way to strengthen Israel’s geopolitical position in the Middle East. Trump’s recent break with Iranis a classic example of “wag the dog principle,” in which Tel Aviv, the tail, dictates to Washington.(https://icjs.org/sites/default/files/Weber%20on%20How%20Evangelicals%20Became%20Israel's%20best%20Friend%20from%20Christ.%20Today.pdf).
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
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