American Aid to Israel: Is It Good For The Jews?

The Texas Mercury ^

[RCW2001]

American Aid to Israel:

Is It Good for the Jews?

 

by Derek Copold

Some years ago a Jewish friend of mine met a man who worked for AIPAC, a political action committee that lobbies on behalf of the State of Israel. Judging by my friend’s reaction to him, I gathered that he was quite the salesman. The AIPAC worker had talked my friend into contributing, and that same friend, knowing my father was Jewish, thought I too might be interested. I wasn’t.

My friend was a bit put out when I declined the oppoturnity, and I felt bad at the time, having brought him down a bit. But the fact of the matter was that I didn’t, and still don’t, care for the idea of Americans lobbying our government for the purpose of sending tax money to a foreign power, even an ostensibly friendly one like Israel.

This is not to imply that my friend bore within him the seeds of disloyalty. Quite the opposite. A Vietnam veteran, he proudly served 12 years in the armed forces. Even if I disagree with his political choice, it doesn’t change the fact that he loves his country through and through.

His evident discomfort, though, raised a question. Are AIPAC and other Israel-boosting organizations in the United States doing any good when they help procure billions and billions of dollars of free aid for the Jewish State? And I ask this, not so much in relation to the United States, but rather to Israel itself, and to Jews in general.

Before answering this question, allow me to also note a twist in this situation. Most of Israel’s supporters in America hail from the political Right. Ironically, many of the people who denounce government money as a corrupting influence will, in almost the same breath, demand that Israel continue to receive her cut. So which is it? Are government subsidies bad, as is claimed for welfare recipients, charities and corporations, or are they good, as is argued for Israel?

The evidence suggests the former. Before the late 1960s, Israel was for the most part a self-sufficient country. Despite being surrounded by hostile forces, she was able to take care of herself without relying on any other power for direct aid. This status changed once she began to accept American aid. As a result of this ‘free’ money’, the Jewish State has become an American dependency. The once proud Zionist nation has been reduced to relying on the charity of Washington.

The number of visits Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, has made to Washington in the last year alone attests to Israel’s servile status. Many of Israel’s boosters proudly point to Ariel Sharon’s four White House visits as a sign of favor, an accomplishment. But how can any supposedly independent country take heart in the fact that their leader has been forced to show up at another nation’s doorstep, hat in hand, humbly asking permission to do what it believes it must do to survive?  Far from securing Israel's independence, America's aid has effectively destroyed it.

So much for helping Israel. But what about the Jews in general and American Jews in particular? Is America’s aid to Israel good for the Jews?

Again, the answer is not encouraging. American aid to Israel has been cited as a factor that led to the 9/11 massacre. For the moment, set aside the question of whether this allegation is true or not; simply note that it is there. Note also, that most Jews, understandably, take severe umbrage with it, and have gone to extraordinary lengths to rebut it. Now whether or not they are correct, their efforts, including the often inaccurate cries of anti-Semitism, have raised questions (most of which remain unspoken) amongst their non-Jewish compatriots about whose interests the Jews are really serving.

To be sure, these Jews believe completely and sincerely that the United States’ interests coincide with Israel’s, and though I question their logic, I don’t doubt their loyalty. 

Yet the question is out there, and having that question of ‘dual loyalty’, which is inseparably tied to Israel's American aid, remain out there is deleterious to the Jews. If Israel had never accepted American largesse and remained self-sufficient, no one could have raised this question. Either there would be no terrorism directed against America, as Israel’s critics believe would happen, or if it did, there would be no aid for those critics to blame.

So if this aid is as harmful as I claim it to be, why do Israel and her friends insist on continuing it? For the same reason a heroine addict keeps looking for smack, even after he realizes that it’s killing him. Like that addict, Israel will do everything and anything to maintain a steady supply, and just like any junkie, she will never truly control her own destiny as long as she allows herself to be injected with billions of dollars of American aid.

Unfortunately, her American friends, particularly those on the Right, have suspended their better judgment, and they refuse to address this problem in any kind of an honest manner, preferring instead to revel in alternating emotions of triumphalism and self-pity. Meanwhile, the object of their affections becomes more and more enervated by their 'help.'

[veronica]

'The Texas Mercury is beholden to no interest, genuflects to no god, and endorses no party. We intend to publish every view not now in the useless mainstream press, and publish it without hold or censure. We will be publishing communist, racist, hedonist, and fascistic ideas.'

Nice of you to post something for the communists, racists, and fascists here, of which I hope there are not too many.

[Grampa Dave]

Does RCW ever post anything that isn't anti Israel? He seems to work 24/7 to find any any anti Israel article or Bravo Sierra article he can find to post!

[Demidog]

Great post. Aid to Israel does more harm than good and it puts them in the position of having to ask permission for their acts.

The way to remedy this situation is to cut off ALL aid to ALL foreign nations military, monitary or otherwise and allow Americans to contribute to any nation they chose voluntarily. It would save us Billions in tax dollars and it is arguable that Israel would actually end up with more funding and certainly more autonomy and control over its own fate.

[Demidog]

There is nothing in this article that is anti-Israel and I defy you to quote any passage here that indicates anti-Israel sentiment.

[Demidog]

She didn't quote it all. The rest sort of punches great big holes in the smear she's attempting.

[gcruse]

Other putricity from the Texas Mercury:

Forbidden Fruits of the
Tree of Knowledge

Hank Parnell

 Most of what is characterized as "human behavior" is as automatic as that of any
animal. Once a set of premises are established, human beings will act upon them
with an often frightful continuation of logic. It was once very fashionable (still is, in
some unenlightened quarters) to blame the German people for the Nazis, or the
Russian people for the Soviets, or the Chinese or the Cambodians for their
communist atrocities. And yet we now literally know better. The majority of human
beings in any given group, regardless of sex, age, race, religion, culture, etc., will
behave similarly under similar circumstances. This is a thing the Left denies and the
Right pretends to misunderstand. It is called, quaintly but appropriately, "human
nature."
 

[SJackson]

This is probably a better excerpt:

Why We Exist

My name is James Versluys. I am the former editor of the Houston Review along with my co-editor and trenchant wit Derek Copold. It is our central philosophic notion as a paper that no good ever comes from constructive criticism, and the reader will find none of it between our covers. If there is a place in the Universe where positive ideas and idealistic hope are found, we are at the location farthest from that point. We cheerfully acknowledge our place as men aiming to destroy, and we do not apologize for this. For one, constructive criticism is always vapid. More importantly, what we do is far more fun.

….We create this paper because it is great fun, to stake our independence and for no other reason. The reader will find little or no whooping for God or country, democracy or equality, goodwill or peace among men. We are the un-believers.

.................................

It’s actually kind of a fun site, something there to offend anyone, in a light way. Given their policy statement, I’d expect most topics they deal with to be approached from an artificial, “controversial” perspective, “great fun”. I take this piece as seriously as “We Americans, We Unhappy Americans: Bush's War Whoop Dissected“ , Moderate Muslim Kills Himself, Protesting Intolerance, Satan Demands Rematchwith Usama Bin Laden For Title or “Spinning Chutzpah” (Actually an article slamming American imperialism, apparently Chutzpah is an American trait)

It’s kind of a pseudo intellectual Mad magazine, worth a visit.

[SJackson]

American aid to Israel has been cited as a factor that led to the 9/11 massacre. For the moment, set aside the question of whether this allegation is true or not; simply note that it is there.LOL, noted. Along with the Mossad Pilots and X42 as America's greatest President (only black one you know).

[UbIwerks]

LOL...yeah, we wouldn't want the truth to get in the way of these bogus allegations. And who were these allegations made by? The rags - not the one's on their heads, but newspapers - of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, etc., of course.

Throwing Israel to the wolves will not help us with the Arabs. The anti-Semites here and other places don't understand the basic Arab mindset that acquiesence to their demands -- especially by us infidels -- is seen as weakness by the Muslims and they move to hurt us even further for our cooperation.

One can't appease the Arabs no matter how deep the hatred of the anti - Semites is against the Jews.

[side2]

I personally endorse cutting all aid to Israel and redirecting it to the Palestinians as repatriation for the Jewish atrocities of the last 37 years...

Fume and fuss about how vile I am. The Goebbelsque lies about Jewish victim hood have turned a lot of people against your country and religion.

[Lent]

Does RCW ever post anything that isn't anti Israel?

Anti-Israel stories bring orgasmic joy for him.

[Lent]

I personally endorse cutting all aid to Israel and redirecting it to the Palestinians as repatriation for the Jewish atrocities of the last 37 years...

Fume and fuss about how vile I am. The Goebbelsque lies about Jewish victim hood have turned a lot of people against your country and religion.

Yep, give it to your Pal heroes:

We all saw how Yassir Arafat - THE father of world terrorism, spoke about how bad he felt over the greatest terror attack in the history of humanity - but we also saw how his people, the Palestinains, drunk on their "victory" in Durban, South Africa, went dancing in the streets, giving out sweets, and shooting in the air, to show how happy they were.

The Palestinains wern't alone, as the article we bring below from Egypt tells us...

On the other hand - reports in the Israeli media tell us of threats that were receievd by the foreign press agencies to destroy any and all pictures and videos taken of these celebrations. That is why you will only see pictures from East Jerusalem and Lebanon below.

GAMLA will do it's best to bring more of these picture from the other cities, Bethlehem, Nablus, Hebron, Tul Karem and more of the huge celebrations that went on there last night.

CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE	Celebrations in East Jerusalem
Celebrations in Lebanon

[backhoe]

Jewish atrocities? And BTW, I don't believe Grampaw Dave is Jewish, either. Try educating yourself first:

Why Israel Is The Victim And The Arabs Are The Indefensible Aggressors In the Middle East

The Big Lie

"The Arabs Are Responsible"

The Myth Of The Palestinian People

-Ariel Sharon & Israel-- The myths of Sabra and Shatilla and the war in Lebanon --

-Online book debunking the "Sharon Terror story--

-Israel Arabs Palestinians THE BATTLE FOR TRUTH--

-Crash Course in Middle East History--

-Setting the Historical Record Straight--

Why Europe Hates Israel

A History of Terror in Israel

Great concise explanation of 67 borders and UN res 242 here.

[SJackson]

I forgot the Onion. An intelectually posturing Onion, addressing topics in an "un-believing" rather than humorous fashion is perfect. I bet they'd like it.

Chutzpah, a defining characteristic of American's, gotta love it. Not that he's wrong, Chutzpah is a value shared with America. Read it Spinning Chutzpah Or, The Molting Process in H. sapiens