Nadene Goldfoot
Right now the USA as well as the rest of the world are facing economic hardships and are looking at balancing their country's budgets. One of the things looked at seriously is defense budgets. It's unfortunate that by 2011 the world has not been able to do away with wars, but I suppose that would take doing away with the male hormone, testosterone and a complete mutation of Homo Sapiens. It is also believed that when the Messiach arrives, swords will be turned into plowshares. As it is, today governments have to consider what would happen if they end finances for this purpose. Israel's needs will be brought up.
The USA has felt that they should assist both Israel and Arab states since Truman. After 1970 Israel was regarded as a valuable strategic ally and received more aid . USA spends more to protect the security of its other allies than it spends on Israel which is aid in the US defense budget, not in the foreign aid budget.
USA spends billions annually to keep troops in Europe and East Asia. American troops kept to protect South Korea are allotted about the same amount as spent on Israel each year.
America has never had to commit American troops to protect Israel.
Much of what Israel has received from USA has been in the form of bank loans and this is always paid back. .
Israel contributed more of its own money than most Arab states to UNRWA (UN's Reliefs and Works Agency). Palestinians have remained on this welfare since 1949. 2% of UN's total budget goes to UNRWA. 3% goes to all other refugees in the world. Palestinians have received highest amount of aid in history. Between 1993-2004, world donated about $7 billion to PA (Palestinian) treasury. Half of money is unaccounted for, but we know that Arafat and his wife were quite wealthy.
PLO was richest of all terrorist organization (now called Fatah) with $8 -10 billion in assets and annual income of $1.5 -$2 billion. with $50 billion in secret investments around the world according to England's Daily Telegraph in 1999.
Israel has been up against wealthy terrorists supported by the oil-rich Arabs and a supplicatory world that is worried about their own oil supplies. This is not the way Israel's founders had planned the rebirth of their ancient nation. There were influencial Arabs that were all for the creation of a Jewish state.
"Who can challenge the rights of the Jews in Palestine? Good Lord, historically it is really your country." Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi (1842-1906) , Mayor of Jerusalem, 1899. Ottoman Empire patriot, author of Arabic-Kurdish dictionary scholar in Vienna."
" We Arabs, especially the educated among us, look with deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement...We will wish the Jews a hearty welcome home...our two movements complement one another." Emir Faisal b: (1885-1933), a leader of the Arab world, descendent of Muhammad, from Hashemite dynasty, King of Syria and Iraq, grandfather of King Abdullah II of Jordan, said in 1919.
Unfortunately, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry," and the Arabs attacked Israel. Thus the need for financial assistance has existed.
1947-1971 Israel..................$60 million annually
1948 $135 million in bank loans to absorb immigrants
1947-1971 Arab States.......$170 million annually
(Arabs also received monies from Asia, East Europe, Soviet Union, European Community)
1959 Israel...................Grants ended
1950-2002 UNRWA-Palestine Refugees........$2.87 billion (USA largest single donor-Refugees, longest period of Refugees known) 2% of UN budget
1959-1985 Israel loans repaid, bought surplus commodities from USA
1962 Israel bought arms
1979-? Israel.................$3 billion annually
1979-? Egypt $2 billion annually, increase reflecting Israel/Egypt peace treaty
1970+ USA claims Israel as valuable strategic ally and increased aid.
1970+ USA sold arms to Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Yemen, Gulf States
1974 Israel.................$100 billion, 3 special aid packages
1979 Israel ................$ 3 billion ($2.2 million was high interest loan)
1996 Israel...................$100 million
1998-2005 Israel Aid from $1.2 billion down to $360 million, Israel in turn uses Grant money to buy military equipment, etc from USA, creating jobs in America.
1998-2005 Israel Aid from $1.2 billion down to $360 million, Israel in turn uses Grant money to buy military equipment, etc from USA, creating jobs in America.
2007: 10-Year Military Aid Agreement to Israel
2009......................................$2.55 billion
2010......................................$2.70 billion
2011.....................................$2.85 billion
2012.....................................$3.00 billion
2013.....................................$3.15 billion per year
US-Israeli Missile Defense Development of System
2006...................................$132.866 million
2007...................................$137.894 million
2008 ..................................$155.572 million
2009.................................. $177.237 million
2010.................................. $202.434 million
The United States will have to consider its value system as well as its financial one when making decisions about defense. What does the USA represent to itself and to the world? What are we all about? Israel needs the USA and the USA is benefiting from the relationship all the time. These two countries, one giant-sized and one minute have the same values. My hope and prayers are a continued monetary assistance for Israel as needed.
7/21/11 Update 3:41pm Pacific time: Obama's administration had $51 billion budget for 2012 for State Dept and foreign Aid but it was cut by $6.4 billion. Unchanaged was the $3 billion in military aid for Israel. Israel has bipartisan support. The bill reaffirms support for Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital.
from House committee Saves Israeli Aid in foreign Aid Cut by Ron Dagoni from Daily Alert.
Israel 101 by StandWithUs, printed with CUFI
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