$38 Billion for Trump (and Obama’s) Israel First Policy
Trump (and Obama’s) Israel First Policy
In an after-hours press release this evening, the U.S. State Department announced the beginning of the ten-year period of the $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the United States and Israel. The MOU was signed by President Barack Obama and his frenemy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, just as America was headed into the home-stretch of the 2016 presidential election. The State Department press release stresses “the enduring and unshakable commitment of the President, this Administration, and the American people to Israel’s security” and the fact that it was negotiated under the Obama Administration reflects the “bi-partisan nature of this commitment.”
Our implementation of this historic MOU reflects the enduring and unshakable commitment of the President, this Administration, and the American people to Israel’s security. The MOU was negotiated under the previous Administration, reflecting the bi-partisan nature of this commitment.
Why are Americans picking up the tab for “Israel’s security”? Why isn’t anybody in Congress or the big media asking this question?
Billions for Israel, Jack Squat for the U.S.A.
According to the State Department press release, “[u]nder the terms of the MOU, the United States will set funding for Israel at levels of $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for cooperative programs for missile defense over each of the next ten years, a significant increase enabling Israel to acquire additional advanced military capabilities from the United States that will, over time, enhance Israel’s security and strengthen our bilateral relationship.” And that’s it, folks. Israel doesn’t have to do anything as part of this deal except spend some of the billions of dollars Americans are giving them on some American military hardware.
Under the terms of the MOU, the United States will set funding for Israel at levels of $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for cooperative programs for missile defense over each of the next ten years, a significant increase enabling Israel to acquire additional advanced military capabilities from the United States that will, over time, enhance Israel’s security and strengthen our bilateral relationship. – U.S. State Department Press Release
According to H.R. 835 passed earlier this year, this agreement follows two previous MOUs between the U.S. and Israel where the U.S. has already given Israel nearly $60 billion since 1999. The State of Israel discriminates against non-Jews and has been engaged in a decades-long forced displacement of Palestinians our of their homes and off of their land. Furthermore, Israel was also recently ranked as the 8th most powerful nation on Earth by U.S. News and World Report (links below). With an Israeli population totaling 8.5 million people, that means Americans are giving about $11,141.00 to each and every person in the 8th most powerful country on the planet. If a country of only 8.5 million people can rank as the 8th most powerful nation on Earth, why do they need any aid, much less $38 billion in aid, from anybody?
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Related:
- House Passes Bipartisan Resolution in Support of Israel, May 10, 2018
- Donald Trump “the Outsider” Now on Sale!, May 16, 2016
Resource Links:
- Ten-Year Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States and Israel [Press release], U.S. Department of State, October 1, 2018
- Best Countries Power Rankings [accessed October 1, 2018], U.S. News & World Report
- Empire Files: How Palestine Became Colonized, Empire Files via YouTube, September 28, 2016
- U.S. Finalizes Deal to Give Israel $38 Billion in Military Aid, The New York Times, September 14, 2016
- Obama and Netanyahu image credit: U.S. Government Works (by Pete Souza)
