The US gives Israel no aid. The money euphemistically called aid is anything but that. There are three types of aid: hesed (given of pure goodwill, not owed), tzedakah (owed for moral reasons), and mishpat (owed for legal reasons). None of those categories apply to Israeli-American relations. America possesses neither selfless goodwill, nor moral or legal obligations toward Israel. The annual subsidies are bribes at worst, payments at best.
America pays Israel for the influence in the Middle East. Controlling the Middle Eastern bully is America’s greatest regional asset. America receives immense leverage in its dealings with Muslims by the fact of controlling their major enemy. That achievement did not come easy: America failed at replicating it with Pakistan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Germany, Japan, and several other countries. America has two contradictory policies: isolation and the world outreach. Aligning itself with regional hegemons is the only way to resolve that political dichotomy. Tried in many countries, the US policy of regional alignment succeeded only with Israel. Only the Jews were ready to sell sovereignty.
The aid to Israel is an extremely efficient investment. America spent more than $300 billion for the second Iraqi invasion, but the debacle discredited it: Iran ignores the American threats and Muslim countries continue jacking up the oil price. Israel is given 1% of that amount in annual installments, and in return greatly reinforces the US stance in the Middle East: Arabs can always appeal to America against Israel, and America generally listens to them.
The American aid is insulting. In Jewish law, it is an obligation of every individual to avoid being a burden to society at any cost; charity is the last measure for those who cannot support themselves. It is outrageous for the Jewish nation to plead for aid with Gentiles. Israelis are not that poor, and the aid is not that huge. Ending the huge subsidies to Israeli Arabs and non-working Jews, reducing socialist pensions and job benefits in the Histadrut trade union, and firing a large number of useless bureaucrats would more than offset the lost aid. Sensible free market economic policy rather than the post-socialist regulatory abomination would propel the Israeli economy. The IDF can be reduced, long-term conscription abandoned, and a lot of money saved if Israel officially relies on nuclear deterrent in any large-scale war.
The amount of US aid, about $3 billion, remains steady in nominal dollars since 1979 while the CPI increased more by than three times during that period. The cost of weapons increases much faster than the CPI, and the amount which was substantial in 1979 is now negligible. The aid comprises 0.02% of the US GDP and 0.5% of its military budget. For Israel, the figures are, respectively, 1.5% and 17%. Though even the 17% can be realistically offset by streamlining the Israeli army, the situation is actually much simpler: Israel spends 77% of the American aid for American weapons. R&D is a major part of advance weapons costing, and Israeli purchases help amortizing it. In effect, Israel receives the US subsidies in order to pass them to the US military contractors. The comparable Russian weapons – not exactly of the same edge but still very good and sufficient for fighting the Arabs – cost 4-7 times less. In terms of purchasing power parity with Russia, US military aid to Israel amounts to about half a billion dollars annually and close to 3% of Israel’s military budget. Some of the weapons Israel procures in America are virtually useless, untested, hyper-expensive military toys superfluous in the real combat. Addicted to US weapons, Israeli army came to resemble its American counterpart in terms of inefficiency, skyrocketing costs, and the lack of training and daring spirit.
Large-scale procurement of American weapons made Israel dependent on America for any military operations and highly susceptible to the threats of American embargo on arms deliveries. Israel currently places tens of thousands of small, less than $100,000 orders with the US defense contractors, which suggests across-the-border dependence on American suppliers for spare parts and minor items. That creates immense political dependence on the US.
The general purpose American aid to Israel is now being phased out, and for good, as it was spent in the most corrupt manner and hardly benefited common Israelis. The extraordinary aid packages were always detrimental to Israel as they were tied to sweeping political concessions such as evacuating Gaza, a move which created power vacuum where Hamas quickly established itself.
The amount of US aid to Israel is comparable to private Jewish contributions, about $1 billion through charities and $500 million in Israeli bonds. Israel could reasonably double those contributions by a stronger Diaspora outreach program.
The balance of aid benefits the enemies of Israel. Egypt gets $1.3 billion in military aid annually, even though its only target and potential enemy is Israel. America knowingly and willingly funds an anti-Israeli army. Egypt also receives $500 million of general purpose aid, which frees the equal amount of its own resources for military programs. American aid is much more critical to impoverished Egypt than to Israel, and so the cessation of foreign aid to all parties benefits Israel.
America also aids Palestine – though the money nominally bypassed the PLO, it paid the salaries of PLO functionaries and employees. Now America directly funds Fatah, which even pays Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and Hamas employees in Gaza with that money. In Palestine, America directly finances anti-Israeli terrorist infrastructure.
Not only the US aid, but also arms sales are doubtfully helpful to Israel. America traditionally offsets arms sales to Israel with deliveries to Arab states. Arab procurement of US weapons greatly exceeds Israel’s. Joint US-Russian arms embargo on the Middle East would benefit Israel: she is able to manufacture most weapons while Arabs cannot, and Israel has an edge over Arabs in arms smuggling and grey market procurement.
Arabs recognize the dubious value of US support. For example, Jordan, the Arab country closest to the US, supported Saddam in the Iraq-Kuwait war. Jordan was afraid of Saddam and did not count on the US help.
The campaign to end US foreign aid should also include ending the goodwill military campaigns, such as liberating the petty emirate of Kuwait. Israel would benefit from a still wider policy, namely America’s return to its traditional isolation. Taking the US bases out of the Gulf countries would leave Israel as America’s only juggernaut in the Middle East, and actually increase the US establishment’s dependence on Israel.
Ovadia writes"
The campaign to end US foreign aid should also include ending the goodwill military campaigns, such as liberating the petty emirate of Kuwait."
What you mean "goodwill campaigns"?
Kuwait and the sutanate of Oman have a military agreement with the UK. They rely on UK military in exchange of cheap oil. The treaty is more than 100 years old.
Besides, Saddam in 1991 was dangerously approaching the Saudi borders, THE REAL PREOCCUPATION of US. Cheap and steady oil is not you find everyday…
And for this will America fall. Just a side note, when one cuts all the fluff, its all about the Oil and keeping the American machine rolling. Don't think for one second that 5 1/2 million Jews will get in their way. Shavua Tov.
To Anonymous: The oil prices actually steadily increased since the 1991 war. Saddam would have been pumping Kuwaiti oil and exporting it no less reliably than the Bedouin prince there.
Britain doesn't have a mutual defense treaty with Kuwait, just a sort of a military cooperation agreement. Such papers are negligible, as the case of Czechoslovakia had proved.
The Federal government of the US uses our own tax dollars to buy its power over the several States in a similar manner, and with similar dubious benefits. Everyone here (the sane ones, anyway) complain about the crap the government schools require to be taught (Mary has two Mommies, etc.) but the only reason they have to teach it is that the State governments take Federal government money. Same with highways, health care, whatever you can name — if the States did not take Federal money, there would be much fewer areas of Federal control. No one is free who allows himself to be bought. Most humans are slaves by choice. Nietsche was right about that, if nothing else.
Joseph: I agree with you there. Slaves by choice.
But they like to pretend they are anything but…
Danny: Can you please supply an example of a hyper-expensive, superfluous toy? Obadiah uses this phrase a lot in regard to the Israeli armed forces.
I think this argument would be more solid if it had some reference to back it up.
Excellent article. I also totally agree with Joseph's comments. Any so-called aid as it exists in to-day's world, including American, is nothing but a Trojan horse and accepting it can be deadly and dangerous to your health.
Alain,
Of course you mean governmental aid.
I can think of aid from people that is given in sincerity. For example Diaspora Jews supporting Israel.
However when aid is given through various organizations, then these organizations use it to promote their own agenda.
Well, that's good old fashioned devious politics.
People who have lots of money, lots of power, tend to want more of it, and manipulating the world in order to achieve it… Well, that just makes them feel even more powerful, doesn't it?
That's the game, and it works because most of humanity is comprised of the aforementioned willing slaves.
And no, songs, TV shows, rallies and hippies aren't going to change it.
Not to forget that the IAF contributed during the long years of very many improvements in the F-15 and F-16. These improvements; approx 500, just for the records, are battle (flight) tested. If the constructor(s) of these super expensive jets would have had to pay for such a research, the costs would well be over USD 3B/year!
The US is bribing us with very cheap money and all israeli goverments have continued to accept this so called aid.
Not to talk of all the concessions that the US extracted from us, all to our detriment. It is really time we politely renounce to these aid programs and be more self sufficient. For good weaponry we can shop around and get much it cheaper; even jets. The new generation of Russian Mig are stunning and in some ways even better (and cheaper) than the US Fs. Paris or England's air show have demonstrated it, the Mig in cobra position.
Right now we are about to fix another of these problems with the F-16I…what a bad smell. Shall we say a poisonous gift?
"Taking the US bases out of the Gulf countries"
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LOL. Three words: "Not gonna happen."
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I don't think that even Obama would do that though he will "disarm" the US according to statements he's made. Ron Paul is probably the only guy thinking it's a good thing for America to have NO bases abroad, and he got something like 5% of the republican support in the primary. America has spent decades plopping military bases in foreign lands for strategic purposes, why would they ever pack up and go home?
I don't bet, but my guess is that we will see the withdrawal of the US bases from the Middle East under the Muslim pressure. Also, a couple more of the 9/11-type attacks, and America would withdraw by itself.
[…] by avideditor on April 11, 2008 Oddly, we don't want your money: […]
The easiest way to deal with not wanting our money is to stop taking it. I certainly would not object to not giving it.
If you object to Osama striking at the American people for the misdoings of their Administration, then you might understand that we, too, have little say in our government's affairs.
Sorry, Danny, but I'm not all that convinced as to just who is responsible for 9/11. It clearly had many of the elements of a false flag attack. Whether it was LIHOP or MIHOP, the official narrative is the conspiracy theory too implausible to swallow. As far as I'm concerned, 9/11 or not, I have no desire for the US to create a police state on my account. Fear is just too convenient a tool and the criminal Bush administration has been brandishing it like a club.
Lance: So, as you can see - your administration can impose things against your will, and so can our administration.
You might wanna ask your officials about why, despite all of your money they've been giving to oil producing countries, the prices of gas have been on the rise.
Well, we inexplicably turned down Venezuala's generous offer of heating oil at a reduced cost. The agreement with the Sauds was to provide a steady supply of oil and a stable pricing structure.
[from - http://www.setamericafree.org/saf_hiddencostofoil010507.pdf - The first and most obvious external or “hidden” cost related to outlays related to the defense of America’s oil supplies. The need to defend our access to foreign crude is not a new development. It was clearly understood in 1945, when President Franklin Roosevelt met with King Ibn Saud aboard the USS Quincy and reached an agreement whereby the U.S. would guarantee Saudi Arabia’s security in exchange for access to its oil. Every successive President, regardless of party, would reaffirm this commitment from that time
forward. - end excerpt]
Demand is going way up so more buyers are chasing a finite output. I think part of the reason that the wells are still not metered in Iraq is so that enormous quatities of it can be stolen, including much of the flow going to Israel.
One other thing, the Bush misadministration is always able to get the price at the pump to drop a bit right before elections.
Try thinking, how could *much* oil go to Israel, a country of 7 million people which needs very little heating and driving?
Yeah, I guess you're right. No one could could figure out what to do with a high demand surplus commodity that was acquired at less than market price. You'd have to be some sort of financial black market genius to avoid getting stuck with such a fungible product. Maybe they could put it in little vials and sell it like souvenir Dead Sea water at all the trinket shops. When you get it for next to nothing the overhead is low and the profit is high.
They could always run their A/C full blast and buy lots of gas guzzlin' road hogs and with the amount of land more or less continuously annexed by Israel, the sky's the limit as far as growth of consumption is concerned. And aren't Israel's new submarines diesel? They could set up the fun excursions a la Disneyland's undersea extravaganza as well as look into the feasability of attracting the water skiing crowd (lots of funds for discretionary spending).
If it does look as if they'd be stuck with it, I'm sure there'd be a skipper with a tanker ship of any size willing to dock in one of Israel's industrial seaports and take it off their hands for only a modest fee. It would be a shame for that stuff to start piling up and all.