Blank-Check Aid To Israel Costs U.S. Tax Payers $10 Billion

Congress skillfully gives Israel $10 billion a year to expand its brutal occupation of Palestinian lands in a manner that hides the amount from taxpayers.

By James P. Tucker Jr.

 05/06/03: (American Free Press) “U.S. aid to Israel has some unique aspects, such as loans with repayment waived, or a pledge to provide Israel with economic assistance equal to the amount Israel owes the United States for previous loans,” says a Library of Congress “briefing paper.”

This paper, Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance, was prepared by the library’s Congressional Research Service in April and is available to all congressmen. It confirms assessments made previously by American Free Press that blank-check aid to Israel costs taxpayers $10 billion a year.

“Israel also receives special benefits that may not be available to other countries, such as the use of U.S. military assistance for research and development in the United States, the use of U.S. military assistance for military purchases in Israel, or receiving all of its assistance in the first 30 days of the fiscal year rather than in three or four installments as other countries do,” the report said.

Because, in the age of deficits, the United States has to borrow the money it gives Israel in one chunk at the start of the fiscal year, taxpayers are paying interest on all the money given Israel for the entire year.

These revelations come as Israel is demanding $12 billion—in addition to all other aid—because tourism is down dramatically and its economy is in shambles. The traditional celebrations of Christmas and Easter attracted fewer believers because they feared a premature trip to heaven in the war-ravaged land.

Israel is also asking for more money in Bush’s “road map” to peace in the Middle East, which was unveiled after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat named Mahmoud Abbas to the new office of prime minister.

Israelis are unhappy with the road map because it requires withdrawal from part of the occupied territories. So they are asking for money to finance the withdrawal. The United States finances Israel’s war machine so it can invade and occupy Palestinian lands. Now, the United States is being asked for money to pay for withdrawing from part of those lands.

The United States and Israel hope they have a patsy in Abbas, a close associate of Arafat who has little support from ordinary Palestinians. But Abbas said on April 28 he would not visit foreign capitals until Israel allows Arafat to travel freely again.

Though Arafat receives support from Europe, many Palestinians believe he is ineffective and corrupt.

President Bush said he would invite Abbas, who dresses in business suits and speaks English, to the White House for peace negotiations but not Arafat. Bush said he will regard Abbas, not Arafat, as the Palestinian leader.

Middle East experts said Abbas fears that accepting a White House invitation would make him appear a U.S. lackey in Palestinian eyes unless Israel stops trying to isolate Arafat.

“I will not travel anywhere before Israel lifts a siege on President Arafat so that we can get a guarantee he will be able to go abroad and come back freely without Israeli objection,” Abbas told Reuters News Agency.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Arafat is free to go abroad but it will not guarantee letting him return.

Arafat has denounced suicide attacks targeting Israeli civilians.

On assuming office on April 29, Abbas warned Israel that it must abandon Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza to achieve lasting peace. He again denounced terrorism and said peace is the Palestinian goal. The “road map” envisions an independent Palestinian state by 2005.