Israel would defend itself even if all US aid were cut off.
Israel only gets 3 billions per year while $50 billion is spent by us on Gulf security and security for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. We have troops stationed in those two nations. Bin Ladin wants the US out and so does Saddam Hussein
| source link Holding The Bag In the Gulf The New York Times, September 18, 1996 By Lawrence J. Korb, After the gulf war, the Navy created the Fifth Fleet, stationed permanently in the gulf. It consists of 21 ships manned by 15,000 sailors and marines, along with 12 more ships with equipment for ground forces and about 250 planes to protect the fleet and enforce the no-flight zones over Iraq. In addition, there are 10,000 people on the ground in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, along with enough equipment for another Army brigade. On various occasions since the gulf war, including this month, the United States has augmented this standing force by sending a second aircraft carrier, a squadron of stealth fighters and additional air defense groups and bombers. According to Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution, the total cost of maintaining the United States force in the gulf is at least $50 billion per year. The purpose of spending all this money is to insure that neither Iran nor Iraq threatens the oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. But the United States currently imports only about 10 percent of it's oil from the Persian Gulf — some $10 billion to $15 billion worth, depending upon world prices. |
Most all congresscritters have only tiny Jewish communities in their districts - so the Jewish vote cannot vote them out. Their districts instead have much-larger other groups of politically-energetic groups: NRA, right-to-lifers, etc.
Essentially this means that Israel depends on meaning something jobwise to congressional districts - and few even have much dependance on that.
As a Jew, I'm willing to say it. Combine reflexive bloc liberal voting with nearly zero clout in most all congressional districts - and Israel can lose clout in Congress very fast the moment alliance with it costs "too much."
I'll be damned if I'll support any changes due to force.
They can forget about that.
In fact, I'd like to see aid to Israel doubled, as a how-do-you-do to these terrorists. Israel is the only democracy in the whole region, and has been under terrorist attack since the late 40's, and we should stand with the Israeli people.
We send the Arab nations billions every year. They don't use the money to help their poor citizens. They use our money to buy arms that they may one day use against us.
Come on, Veronica, you're doing it again. Adding your own emphasis without acknowledgement is a no-no, especially when you do it to distract from parts you don't like.
Why do you suppose we are having such a rash of polls asking people if we should end or reduce our support to Country A?