Posted on 02/08/2006 8:30:48 AM PST by SJackson
$150 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority will be subject to review, and the US will continue funding ongoing projects.
In its 2007 budget proposal submitted to Congress, the Bush administration is asking for $2.46 billion in aid for Israel: $2.34 billion in military aid, and $120 million in civilian aid. The amount of aid is calculated under a formula devised by former Minister of Finance Yaakov Neeman and then-Israel’s Economic Minister to Washington Ohad Marani. The Clinton administration and Congress approved the formula. Under the formula, US military aid is increased by $60 million a year, up to a ceiling of $2.4 billion, and civilian aid is cut by $120 million a year, until it is finally eliminated. 2007 will be the last year in which Israel will receive US civilian aid.
The US fiscal year begins on October 1, and Israel receives the full amount of annual aid a few weeks later, assuming there are no legislative delays, which occur almost every year. Israel is the only recipient of US aid that receives it in a single tranche.
The 2007 US budget request includes $150 million in aid for the Palestinians, the same amount as in the 2006 budget. US spokespersons quickly emphasized that aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) would be subject to review, depending on developments in the PA.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said US financing of ongoing PA projects would continue, but each project would be examined on its own merits. The budget proposal states that aid for the Palestinians is intended to promote democracy, the rule of law, and economic recovery.
The 2007 US budget proposal also includes $1.3 billion in military aid and $455 million in civilian aid for Egypt. US civilian aid to Egypt is cut by $40 million a year. Jordan will receive $245 million in civilian aid and $206 million in military aid, the same as in previous years.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on February 8, 2006
Much of the strength comes knowing Israel is there to protect them as they did during the infamous Black September.
Create a "Palestinian" independent entity in the "West Bank" under Islamic control and Hashemite Jordan is doomed.
What is omitted here is that the US pays the bulk of NATO and Europe's defense which is an exponentially larger sum. That money falls under the radar because it is part of the US Defense Budget and not called foreign aid.
And Europe truly are socialists who have opted to eviscerate their defense spending in favor of social programs while the US taxpayer foots the bill for defending them. Europe can afford to defend themselves but opt not to.
Israel OTOH is a tiny country with a huge defense budget due to the surrounding hostiles. Israel has long argued to receive the same treatment as Europe and be included in the defense budget. Arguably since the end of the cold war, with the ME being the center of the hostile to US world and its strategic importance because of oil, and with the contributions of Israeli military technology, Israel has a valid point.
I am all for helping Israel but I just don't think foreign aid is the way. Every time Israel releases some multiple murderer, removes roadblocks that allow murderers to ply their trade, and does not retalliate against murder it is with one eye on their American aid. If they were free of American aid they would have much more freedom to defend themselves.
I agree with you that dependency is used as a US tool to manipulate Israeli policy. Burying this same money in the US Defense budget would change that equation as it does for Europe. But the US does not want to lose the leverage.
The reality is that Israel is a small country with huge defense needs.
http://www.jcpa.org/brief/Sadan-chart-1.jpg
http://www.jcpa.org/brief/brief004-11.htm
US defense spending which is the largest many fold of anyone else on the planet is est 3.5% of GNP. Israel is est over 10% of GNP in recent years. In the 1970's it was 35%.
That is ahuge burden for a small country.
"I like Israel but no country in the world deserves 1 dime of US tax payer money."
The article doesn't say how much of that "military aid" ever leaves the United States. I believe it's fairly little, most goes right to American defense industries. The same with the military aid money given to the Egyptians. We're subsidizing their future war.
I don't think so.
there has been a "Palestinian" entity on the West Bank for what 10 years now?
The entire country of Jordan still wants a piece of AQ after those bombings a couple months ago. If anything, Abdullah's been strengthened by the terrorists, not hurt.
Ok
When it occurs and the State Dept and White House issue statements of surprise (who ever is President at the time) remember you read it here first.
OOOK
LOL
Hence, one may notice that Mubarak mostly keeps his mouth shut regarding Israel and the US. He is bought and paid for. But will he stay bought?
But what if Hamas is voted out in the next election?
(wait for it, wait for it...)
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!
I know there aren't going to be any more elections in paliland.
What! Not even Haiti?
It's like we're paying off the Euros, and for what?
IT will be like "We never DREAMED anyone would hijack an airplane and fly it into an office tower."
I don't care where the money is allocated I don't want one dime of US tax payer money going to ANY county. I don't care if it's in Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East, Africa, or Antartica, not one dime of our money should be given away.
If anyone the rest of the world should be paying US ! We protect the world, we should tax the world for that service.
The aid given them is not just to help them but a way of subsidizing our arms industry to keep the infrastructure we need for our own military defense.
Almost every cent of that aid is ear marked in and by Congress to be spent back here in the U.S.
Why in the world do people object to the aid we give Israel for defense, when we give money to the enemies all around her who hate and want to destroy not only them but us as well.This I do not understand.
If we had supported Israelis we should have there wouldn't be any Middle East problem for them or us today.
It is because of them that we didn't face a nuclear Iraq in the first Gulf conflict.
We are constantly pressuring them to give up their security,land and lives of their people and place their total existence in jeopardy.
We do this just so Europe and the U.S can have oil and so big oil company donors like Exxon can make 100,000,000 a day in profits .
We have been asking them to feed their people and land to the insatiable Arab sharks so the rest of the world [who mostly hate them BTW]can roll along smoothly with happy Stock Markets since 1948.
The best thing that can happen to Israel and the worst that can happen to the rest of the world including and especially the U.S. is for them to tell us to take our money and take a hike.
I'm all for cutting off every cent to them especially if we cut off the aid to the people that are trying to wipe them and us off the face of the earth.
Let's cut off the aid to Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and especially Saudi Arabia and the new Terrorist State we are building.
You know the one that exists in the minds of politicians, that exists totally on welfare, that exists on the hate it feels for it's creators and Jews, the one we're building out of the land we've pressured Israel to give up.
You want to talk about a waste of money and human lives let's talk about the nightmare creation of the Palestinian Terrorist State and the PLO.
Let's stop this insane political wet dream before it happens, then we can talk with some sane reality about the money we waste on Israel.
For comparisons how much aid does North Korea and Egypt receive?
To play the devil’s advocate, what is the justification? Might be better to cut it off – that way the anti-Israelis out there won’t be able to claim Israel controls America.
How about we cut Egypt off first? Then we can talk about reducing payments to Israel.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
