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I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from. At $30 billion over the next 10 years, per year, US aid to Israel is $412 per Israeli [1]. And of course, t

by tkahn6 15y ago

I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from. At $30 billion over the next 10 years, per year, US aid to Israel is $412 per Israeli [1]. And of course, that will go down with population increases. And another thing to note is that that money is in the form of military contracts with American companies. It is not used to pay for Israeli infrastructure or social services AFAIK beyond a separate chunk of money ~$40 million to help pay for Israel's immigration problem [2]. 1. http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=3+billion%24+%2F+population+of+israel http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=3+billion%24+%2F+popula... 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_aid_to_Israel.gif http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_aid_to_Israel.gif (note that economic aid to Israel was stopped in 2007)

imjustatechguy 15y ago
I got my numbers from the bottom of this page which shows that US Aid to Israel is increasing through til 2013: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/foreign_aid.html http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/foreig... I got my population number of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel So to sum up... my comment above is correct.
- tkahn6 15y ago
  It appears you are correct, though my second point still stands.
maayank 15y ago
"And another thing to note is that that money is in the form of military contracts with American companies" This. People are usually oblivious that it's another way of transferring money from the government to the military industrial complex, not just supporting the single democracy in the middle east.
- imjustatechguy 15y ago
  Very true. Most people don't know but the most controversial weapons that Israel has used in recent years, such as the cluster bombs dropped in Southern Lebanon [1] and the white phosphorous used in the Gaza Strip [2][3] were both made by the US and given to Israel through the US Military Aid program. [1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5299938.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5299938.stm [2] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5575070.ece http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/arti...
  - tkahn6 15y ago
    > and the white phosphorous used in the Gaza Strip [2] were both made by the US and given to Israel through the US Military Aid program. Also very true. And it should be noted that WP usage is legal under international law provided that it is used as a smokescreen and not a weapon [1]. And the reason it is provided by America is because it is used by NATO. 1. http://www.gonzagajil.org/content/view/194/26/ http://www.gonzagajil.org/content/view/194/26/
    - imjustatechguy 15y ago
      The problem with WP was the way it was used in Gaza: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israeli-armys-use-white-phosphorus-gaza-clear-undeniable-20090119 http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israeli-army...
      - tkahn6 15y ago
        Yes forgive me if don't trust Amnesty international on Israel (or any Western country for that matter) [1]. Also, WP is legal when used in a civilian area if that's where the battlefield is (Israel did not choose to fight in an urban area, Hamas did). See my same link above. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Amnesty_International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Amnesty_Internatio...
- tkahn6 15y ago
  It's slightly more complicated than that. No doubt it's a stimulus to defense contractors, but this money also comes with stipulations. For example, Israel is not allowed to sell certain military technologies (of its own invention) to countries like China. It also secures further defense trading with Israel which has about $18 billion allocated per year for defense spending (with $3 billion of that coming from the US). So Israel is encouraged to spend more money beyond that $3 billion on American defense tech and weapons. Also we give about $1.5 billion to Egypt to spend on American weapons so it's definitely not exclusive to the only democracy in the mid east.
- johnarleyburns 15y ago
  There are other democracies in the Middle East, Iraq for one. Not to mention a country having kept half its population in a massive prison camp with no rights and the developed world's last remaining Apartheid system can hardly be called a democracy.

by tkahn6 15y ago

imjustatechguy 15y ago

I got my numbers from the bottom of this page which shows that US Aid to Israel is increasing through til 2013: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/foreign_aid.html http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/foreig... I got my population number of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel So to sum up... my comment above is correct.

tkahn6 15y ago
It appears you are correct, though my second point still stands.

maayank 15y ago

"And another thing to note is that that money is in the form of military contracts with American companies" This. People are usually oblivious that it's another way of transferring money from the government to the military industrial complex, not just supporting the single democracy in the middle east.

imjustatechguy 15y ago
Very true. Most people don't know but the most controversial weapons that Israel has used in recent years, such as the cluster bombs dropped in Southern Lebanon [1] and the white phosphorous used in the Gaza Strip [2][3] were both made by the US and given to Israel through the US Military Aid program. [1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5299938.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5299938.stm [2] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5575070.ece http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/arti...
- tkahn6 15y ago
  > and the white phosphorous used in the Gaza Strip [2] were both made by the US and given to Israel through the US Military Aid program. Also very true. And it should be noted that WP usage is legal under international law provided that it is used as a smokescreen and not a weapon [1]. And the reason it is provided by America is because it is used by NATO. 1. http://www.gonzagajil.org/content/view/194/26/ http://www.gonzagajil.org/content/view/194/26/
  - imjustatechguy 15y ago
    The problem with WP was the way it was used in Gaza: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israeli-armys-use-white-phosphorus-gaza-clear-undeniable-20090119 http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israeli-army...
    - tkahn6 15y ago
      Yes forgive me if don't trust Amnesty international on Israel (or any Western country for that matter) [1]. Also, WP is legal when used in a civilian area if that's where the battlefield is (Israel did not choose to fight in an urban area, Hamas did). See my same link above. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Amnesty_International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Amnesty_Internatio...
tkahn6 15y ago
It's slightly more complicated than that. No doubt it's a stimulus to defense contractors, but this money also comes with stipulations. For example, Israel is not allowed to sell certain military technologies (of its own invention) to countries like China. It also secures further defense trading with Israel which has about $18 billion allocated per year for defense spending (with $3 billion of that coming from the US). So Israel is encouraged to spend more money beyond that $3 billion on American defense tech and weapons. Also we give about $1.5 billion to Egypt to spend on American weapons so it's definitely not exclusive to the only democracy in the mid east.
johnarleyburns 15y ago
There are other democracies in the Middle East, Iraq for one. Not to mention a country having kept half its population in a massive prison camp with no rights and the developed world's last remaining Apartheid system can hardly be called a democracy.