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.

America has no business aiding Israel. The attempts to achieve for Israel closer ties with the US are a disservice to Jewish people. America will never-ever pursue Jewish interests as they are irrelevant to US voters and establishment alike. America embargoed weapons shipments to Israel during the Independence War, threatened intervention on Egypt’s behalf in the 1956 war, had operational plans for landing its troops in Sinai to defend Egypt in 1967, barred Israel from preemption in 1973 - and only shipped Israel weapons after we won the war - forced Israel to abandon Sinai, and now pushes us into the suicidal peace process. America gives more aid to Egypt and Palestine than Israel, fought for Kuwait but never for Israel, and spent more in Iraq than the total aid to Israel since inception.

That is only natural, as we cannot expect America to care about the Jewish state. Why would the WASP establishment care, if Jews don’t? Polls indicate that American Jews overwhelmingly support the peace process and oppose the war with Iran. No one hates Israel like many American Jews: they want to prove to their Gentile friends that they are not too Jewish, and so they side with Arabs. They are trying to show that Jews are exactly like others; but the Jewish state is not like other states. And so most American Jews support "democratic" Israel where Arabs enjoy equal rights with Jews: that is, the right to breed and vote the Jewish state out of existence.

The support Israel now enjoys from America is a self-delusion. The US vetoed many UN resolutions which condemned Israel. But the very likelihood of such vetoes allows other UNSC members to behave more radically: they vote pro-Left and pro-Arab, knowing that the resolution won’t pass. The US vetoes keep Israel in the UN while a stream of empty anti-Israeli resolutions would have forced Israel out of that barbarian conference, and end Israeli adherence to the UN-sponsored nonsense such as the 1956 borders. The UN fails to enforce sanctions against Iran, an international pariah; the chance of effective sanctions against Israel is infinitesimal. If Israel doesn’t follow South Africa’s path of decades-long oppression of aborigines, but ends the Arab demographic problem swiftly and ruthlessly, in a few years there would be no prospect of sanctions.

From 1948 to 1972, Israel survived while having no official sponsor. We played with France, Germany, America, even the Soviet forefront Romania, and survived. Arab loyalty is non-existent and allegiance – prohibitively expensive; many countries would find it cheaper to buy regional influence by aiding Israel than the Arabs. America aids Israel to control her, and to brandish that control before Arabs extracting concessions from them. The control over Israel gives America great leverage in relations with every Arab country; aid to Israel is an excellent investment. Not only the US, but other countries, too, realize that and would ally themselves with Israel. In the show of absurd loyalty, Israel sticks to America, but America sells her at every corner – for oil.

Russia cannot give Israel much aid, but can supply advanced weapons much cheaper than America, and provide excellent support in the UN. Russia’s military credibility among Arabs is much higher than America’s; Arabs don’t hesitate terrorizing the American pawn, but would shrink from attacking Russia’s client state.

There is also France, boiling with imperial ambitions but unable to vie the Arab states away from America. Through an alliance with France, Israel can extract diplomatic support and considerable aid from the EU.

And there are China and India.

Israel pays with real concessions for the fictional American support. The US needs to show the Arab clients its power over Israel, and kicks her around just for the fun of it: witness the squabble over a few dozen hamlets frightfully dubbed “illegal outposts.” As if the Arab attacks on Israel from 1929 onwards have anything to do with those hamlets erected as a protest against the Oslo capitulation. American politicians sell Israel to placate Arabs, such as by boosting the peace process after the Iraqi debacle. The Carter-Rice ilk uses Israel to vindicate their silly theories, and Clinton pushed for the peace process to cover his deviatory conduct. If not for US pressure, Israeli governments wouldn’t even think of giving the Arabs Judea and Samaria and partitioning Jerusalem.

Incidentally, our tactical goals partially agree with a major aim of American anti-Semites: divestment from Israel. For utterly different reasons we, too believe that Israel must abandon the US aid and live on her own. Financial responsibility would signify the return to Israel’s fundamental political doctrine: Only the IDF is responsible for Israel’s safety. Israel doesn’t need Star Wars weapons to extinguish Palestinian terrorism; good old napalm would do. Israel need not cutting-edge weapons against regular Arab armies: nuclear bombs are good enough.

Rough, self-reliant, arrogant Israel has a good chance for a lasting armistice with neighboring Arabs. Israel the American client has no chance for lasting peace.

We have already tried relying on Assyria.

As the successive US Administrations employ the Old Europe’s cynical and corrupt approach to politics, their policies are twofold: pro-Israeli and anti-Jewish. US Administrations need Israel the bully to push Muslims into cooperation with America. But since the US politics lost the last shreds of morality, it works against everything that is Jewish in Israel. Thus the US demands destruction of Jewish villages, accepting Arab occupation of Judea and Samaria, and abandoning Jerusalem to Palestinians.

It is very different with American people. Public support for Israel in America is very high. Common Americans accept the Jewish right to Jerusalem and Judea, and agree to the overwhelming use of Israel’s force against the Arabs. Jews and Americans have much in common, though not the absurdities trumpeted by Jewish Diaspora barons.

Democracy is not central to Jews and Americans alike. Both nations are values-oriented. Americans fought a civil war in large part over the issue of slavery instead of democratically allowing the South to continue with it. America commonly took leadership in international affairs rather than seeking democratic solutions through the UN. In Judaism, too, democracy takes the second place to values: “You shall not follow the majority to evil.” Ancient Athenians could theoretically pass any decision democratically; Jews and Americans have doctrinal safeguards against such voting. Neither is tolerance a shared Jewish and American value. In fact, our nations are fairly intolerant. Europeans tolerated the Nazis until Germany swallowed them, but the US proceeded to fight the evil as a matter of principle. After the four decades of leftist brainwashing, majority of Americans still oppose homosexual families. Americans are religious, if superficially. So are the adherents to Judaism.

Anti-Semitism exists in America as in every Christian country. Polls indicate anti-Semitism among Caucasian Americans lower than in Europe. The real difference, however, is institutional. Americans lack the history of restricting the Jews. Americans are inbred with the idea of institutional equality. Anyone may dislike Jews, but almost everyone treats us as equals.

Jews and Americans share messianism. Both nations believe in their unique role as the beacon to mankind. Both nations act on this belief consistently. Americans see themselves as an example of liberty; Jews – of morality. Our roles are compatible. The British-American liberty was formulated on the Sinai; American liberty inherits the Torah values. That is not libertarianism, but a rigid system of moral values. Morals are regulated; in everything else, the people are free. Jews and Americans consciously developed their doctrines and made them the reason for national existence.

Israelis and Americans share the history. Both our nations encountered the lands settled by hostile aborigines. Both offered them coexistence, beneficial for the aborigines. Both were forced to kill and repress the aborigines, and eventually took over their land. The most enterprising Europeans left the Old World for America. The most zealous Jews left Europe to settle Palestine. Both countries, after they succeeded initially, were deluged by ideologically neutral immigrants who lack the settlers’ pioneer mentality. Israel admitted Arabs and Slavs, America accepted Mexicans; both countries shrunk from proudly pronouncing themselves different and refusing the newcomers of alien mentality.

Israel and America are both strangers: in the Middle East and the world, respectively. Arabs are zealous and ill-wishing of Israel, Europeans – of America. Both dominate and face perpetual military conflicts. Terrorism threatens both Israel and America, albeit unimportant statistically.

We just need to get rid of our governments.

Our American friends are not only ours. America is also the friend of Wahhabite Saudi Arabia, totalitarian Egypt, the Al Jazeera state of Qatar, Bedouin Jordan, Islamist Kuwait, terrorist Iraq, and just about every other enemy of Israel. Even Russia would be a more reliable and attractive imperial master for Israel than is the US. Our American friends sell immense quantities of advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia, provide $1.4 billion annual aid to Egypt, fought for Kuwait, and spent more in Iraq in the four years than given to Israel in forty years. The US plays it nice: vetoes the UN's empty proclamations against Israel, scorns Ahmadinejad for genuine anti-Israeli feelings of all Muslims, and pats amenable Israeli leaders on the shoulder.

America used Israel as a bulwark against the Soviet Union's expansion in the Middle East. In the late 1960s, America enjoyed wooing Israel away from France. But the best thing for America about Israel is that she creates a controllable threat. Arabs perceive Israel as a dangerous dog and the US – as her master. The dog must be well armed to bark loudly and increase the master's importance. The American establishment needs Israel conflicting with Muslim states. The states threatened by Israel appeal to the US for protection and arbitration. Such policy doesn't require the absence of peace treaties between Israel and Muslims. America has it both ways in the case of Egypt: the peacemaker's laurels of pressing Israel and Egypt into the peace agreement, and afterwards – of the power broker who arms both Israel and Egypt and oversees their hostile relations. Dog barks when feels insecure; Israel in the 8-mile-wide Road Map borders will be permanently insecure, thus hysterical. The peace agreement with Arabs would make Israel so narrow that she would not be able to afford war. Israel was very relaxed after 1967, enjoying a great depth of defense in Sinai. Ludicrously narrow Israel, surrounded by the Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, Hamas-run Palestine, saturated with Russian missiles Syria, and Iraqi-controlled Jordan – such Israel will brandish her weapons to steer the enemies away. The enemies will be afraid and spiral the arms race and lean to America. It is soothing to believe that the US foreign policy establishment is stupid; no, it is devilish.

Only the stupid Jews imagine that the US Administration seeks Israeli benefit in the peace process.

In 1948, America did not force the Arabs to stay out of the war (I’m not calling that war “aggression,” because the Arabs defended what they honestly perceived as their territory). American companies went on working with Arabs during the war. America did not sell Israel weapons. When Israel began to win, America quickly got involved and arranged an armistice. America perceived Israel as a Soviet proxy, and did not want an expansion of Soviet influence.

In 1956, the story is well known. Russia did not support Israel, and America felt free to press for Israeli withdrawal. America never exerted such pressure on Egypt or other Arab countries at war with Israel. In 1963, Arabs conducted an undeclared war of attrition. The number of victims was close to a conventional local war. Seven years before that, Israel proved her ability to deal with the strongest Arab army. Why did not Israel mobilize in response to incessant provocations? The memoirs are available, and a few years ago one could still talk to cabinet ministers of the time. America strongly urged Israeli government to desist from war, and warned of international isolation if Israel starts it. In 1967, America did not prevent Egypt from re-militarizing Sinai (compare that with American tolerance of Germany re-militarizing Alsace-Lorraine). America, however, twisted hands of Israeli government, pushed it to wait, wait, and wait, perhaps Arabs won’t attack. Again, America expressly prohibited Israel to preempt. Only in the nick of the time, Israeli government broke free from its American masters and let the IDF to smash the Arabs. America forced Israel to stop short of Cairo and Damascus - when every military strategist agreed that repelling aggression without disarming the enemy is a recipe for a new war. And it came in 1973. Russia supported Egypt and Syria with military shipments years prior to the war and during it. Russians manned SAM batteries and piloted Egyptian planes. America did nothing to help Israel. Only when Israelis crossed the Suez, clearly winning the war, the first American aid has arrived - too late to be used. In return for its non-existent help, America forced Israel to stop at the Suez, rather than flatten Cairo, as the Egyptians would have done with Tel Aviv.