Israel has been one of the leading recipients of U.S. foreign aid since the 1970’s; most of which is military aid. They receive an average of $3 billion annually, which is more than any of the neighboring Arab countries. Egypt receives around 2.2 billion, Jordan receives about 400 million, and the Palestinian Authority receives approximately 1 billion. Not only do we support Israel the most, but Israel also a large domestic arms industry and an existing military force far more capable and powerful than that of any combination of opposing forces. Interestingly enough, the more Israel proves to America that they are more powerful than the neighboring countries, like they did in the 1967 war, the more aid they receive. It is as if America wants them to expand, even if it requires military action and the death of innocents; we want Israel to continue its political dominion of the Palestinians and its military dominance of the region.
The primary reason for the continuance of aid is far more complex than meets the eye. The United States foreign policy does not align with the actions taken by the U.S. government. On the surface, the U.S. foreign policy professes to protect human rights and freedom. Such a position should not endorse support for a nation that so clearly ignores the United Nations and recognized acts of civility. For example, Israel holds the record of towns and villages she ethnically cleansed. The constitution clearly states the U.S. stands for freedom of race, and religion which contradicts their support for a nation that consistently violates these core values. So why does America continue to support Israel? Obviously the reason are for more complex than the scope of this essay, however it is safe to conclude that control of the region is of primary concern. Would the U.S. support a state within the 50 states as Israel has? Do I believe that America’s foreign policy is high on integrity? I understand the strategy but I disapprove with the tactics. Am I proud to be an American? At times, no, but I fully recognize that I am lucky to be an American; the Alternative is frightening.
Very interesting point you make on your blog. Not that many people can realize that we are supporting Israel base on wrong reasons and wrong justifications. There are several reasons why we support Israel, the most important one as you mentioned is they are our only friend in the region and we need them to be able to stabilize middle east ( or at least this is what our politicians believe in). The other reason is that the Jewish community in the united states has so much power over our politicians. They are rich and that makes them influential. Newspapers and Tv media are owned by the Jewish community and that makes them such a powerful "minority" in America.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the american people don't understand what is the cost of this support. A lot of people might find it surprising if I say that 9/11 was indirectly caused because of our support from Israel. Arab community see us as the devil advocate that supports Israel, a nation that kills innocent Arabs. Our support for Israel has made middle east countries to hate us. Is it any wonder that middle east is the only region of the world that we are struggling with ? We make a fool of ourselves by supporting a nation that ignores the united nations and other international regulatories such as the Atomic Energy Agency. We support Israel no matter what they do and what they say and that is wrong. As a side note I should say that I am proud to be an American no matter what but these ridiculous policies need to end soon for us to be able to maintain peace in middle east and other parts of the world.