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Us israel aid { April 14 2002 } > Fact Sheet: US foreign aid to Israel
> April 14, 2002
>
>
> A) The nature of US foreign aid to Israel
>
> A1. Constitutes 30% of the total US foreign aid budget, which
> renders Israel to be the largest recipient of US aid in the world Since
> 1987, the US congress has annually been approving a foreign aid bill
> totaling an average of $3 billion to Israel, $1.2 billion in economical
> aid, and $1.8 billion in military aid.
>
> After the gulf war in 1991, the US has additionally been offering
> Israel $2 billion annually in federal loan guarantees, which brings the
> total US foreign aid to Israel to about $5 billion, or $13.7 million per
> day. This amount excludes the approximate $1.5 billion in total
> tax-deductible private donations from numerous Jewish charities and
> individual donors.
>
> All in all, this is the largest amount of foreign aid given to a
> country, and constitutes 30% of the total amount of US foreign aid budget.
>
> A2. Started in 1948 and gradually increased over the years
>
>Soon after the Truman decision in 1948 to recognize Israel as a Jewish
>State, the US Congress approved an aid package in the form of a $135
>million Export-Import Bank loan in order to take in holocaust survivors
>and provide them with homes.
>
> Until 1973, aid was mainly made up of military, economic and
> export-import bank loans, although annual economic grants ranging between
> $0.1 and $74 million were also offered between the years 1951 and 1962.
>
> After the 1973 war, the US aid to Israel constituted largely of
> military and economic grants to help strengthen the Israeli defense
> forces. This included $12-80 million, which was annually granted towards
> the establishment of Jewish refugee camps.
>
> This TABLE shows the history of US financial assistance to Israel,
> as documented by the Jewish Virtual Library. Notice the pattern of
> increased assistance over the years for economic, military and Jewish
> refugee grants, especially after 1973. This pattern reflects the US
> interests (section A3) in empowering Israel as the only democratic, close
> ally in the region, and not for the pure intent to assist a developing
> country.
>
> A3. Promotes American interests in the Middle East
>
>The US funding to Israel acts as the backbone for the strategic
>partnership between both countries. By advancing Israel's technological
>and military powers, the US is able to share intelligence information
>regarding Arab militant groups, like Hizbullah, as well as information
>regarding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in countries
>such as Iran, Iraq and Syria.
>
> Three quarters of the military aid to Israel goes for importing
> US-made military equipment such as F-16 and Apache attack helicopters.
> This creates a job market for US citizens and transforms Palestine into a
> test ground for US made weaponry, used daily against Palestinians.
>
> Israel has cooperated with the US arms industry to develop more
> effective military equipment at affordable costs to the US. About one
> quarter of the military aid to Israel is contributed towards military
> research and development, where several innovative jet fighters, missiles
> and navigating and targeting devices have been manufactured and sold back
> to the US. Examples are the ITALD, Litening, Popeye and the UAV.
>
> A4. Proposed by Israel in 1998 to be reduced in an effort to
> establish an economically independent country
>
>In 1998, according to an agreement with the Clinton Administration and
>Congress, Israel voluntarily requested to decrease its financial
>dependence on US economic aid by phasing it out over a period of 10 years.
> The $1.2 billion in economic aid will be reduced by $120 million
> each year until it is down to zero in the year 2008. This will help
> Israel to become an economically independent country.
>
> However, 50% of the savings (i.e. $60 million) each year will be
> added to an emergency military aid fund to Israel. This demonstrates the
> US's persistence and commitment to help Israel gain control of the region.
>
> B) The controversy for US foreign aid to Israel
>
> B1. Granted in disproportion to Israel's size and needs
>
>Israel is an economically, technologically, and militarily advanced
>country, with a per capita rate of $14,000, which is higher that that of
>all neighboring Arab countries, including the oil-rich Saudi Arabia. It
>is ranked as the world's sixteenth wealthiest country, yet the US aid to
>Israel constitutes 30% of the total US foreign aid budget.
>
> Israeli population is 5.8 million, which only constitutes one
> thousandth of the world's total
> population. Between the years 1949 and 1998, the US has provided a
> total of $84 billion in aid to Israel, which exceeds that given to all
> countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean
> combined, with a total population of about 1.054 billion people.
>
> B2. Promotes the illegal occupation of Palestinian land in order to
> establish settlements for Jewish immigrants
>
> A portion of US foreign aid to Israel, which has increased in the
> past decade to $80 million annually, goes into building settlements for
> Jewish immigrants. This occurs by the illegal confiscation of Palestinian
> land and home demolition to allow for space. Jewish settlements surround
> every single Palestinian city in the West Bank, and their rapid
> construction since 1973 has prevented the creation of a feasible
> Palestinian State.
>
> Jewish settlements are built on confiscated Palestinian land to
> accommodate Jewish immigrants from all over the world, based on the
> Israeli Law of Return. These immigrants are guaranteed the right to
> Israeli citizenship, free Hebrew learning, and immediate employment. On
> the other hand, Palestinian refugees who were forced to flee their homes
> in 1948 and 1967 are forbidden from returning to their towns of origin.
>
> B3. Transforms Palestine into a military test ground
>
>Seventy five percent of US military aid to Israel goes into purchasing
>US-made military equipment, such as tanks, machine guns, bullets,
>helicopter gunships, and more. The US depends on Israel to test new
>military technologies in war conditions. For example, uranium-depleted
>ammunition has been fired at civilians in Palestine.
>
> B4. Violates US Law and abuses human rights
>
>The Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of the United States, which provides
>guidelines for the eligibility of certain countries to purchase US-made
>weapons and military equipment, states in section 116 that "No assistance
>may be provided under this part to the government of any country which
>engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally
>recognized
> human rights." However, Israeli army engages daily in degrading and
> inhumane treatments towards Palestinians, such as prolonged detention
> without charges, strip searches at checkpoints, beatings, torture, and
> home demolitions. According to Amnesty International, Israel is the only
> country that legalizes torture.
>
> Similarly, section 4 of the Arms Export control Act prevents the US
> government from selling defense articles to countries that abuse their
> use for non-self-defense purposes. In 2001, the US State Department
> described the actions of Israeli army against Palestinians as an
> "excessive use of force," referring to the use of live ammunition when
> soldiers were not in a pending danger. This clearly shows that the US
> does not agree with the way these weapons are being used
> against Palestinians, yet the US military aid to Israel continues
> consistently as agreed between both countries.
>
>
> SOURCES
> Al-Awda, http://al-awda.org
> Global Exchange,
> http://www.globalexchange.org
> The American Israel Public Affairs Committee,
> http://www.aipac.org
> The Jewish Virtual Library,
> http://www.us-israel.org/jsource
> The Palestine monitor,
> http://www.palestinemonitor.org
> USAID, http://www.usaid.gov
> Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,
> http://www.wrmea.com
> http://www.miftah.org
>
>==============================
>Sign the protest letter online at:
>http://al-awda.org/terminate_aid_petition.htm
>
>==============================
>
>=================================================
>Check our special page about THE PALESTINIAN INTIFADAH
>A wealth of Articles, Photos, Links, and Other Important Information
>(in Arabic & English)
>http://www.alhewar.org/INTIFADAH%20PAGE/the_new_intifidah.htm
>
>=================================================
>
>Together we can overcome the forces of ignorance and hate.
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