The Strings on Latest Military Aid Package to Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                             

The latest military aid package took months of discussion to receive.  Over the next 10 years Israel will received $38 billion, which amounts to about $3.8 billion per year.  The USA Senate is in favor of this aid, and Israel needs it badly with all the opposition and threats coming at them.

This chart from the Jewish Virtual Library  below shows where money goes.  These 3 are missile defense devises.

Defense Budget Appropriations for U.S.-Israeli Missile Defense

(FY2006-FY2012)

($ millions)

System Type	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011*	2012
David's Sling	$10.0	$20.4	$37.0	$72.895	$80.092	$47	$69
Arrow-2	$122.866	$117.494	$98.572	$74.342	$72.306	$24	$105
High Altitude Arrow-3			$20.0	$30.0	$50.036	$51	$61
Total	$132.866	$137.894	$155.572	$177.237	$202.434	$122	$235

Receiving military aid from the USA is not a new achievement as seen in their next chart.

A 10-Year Military Aid Agreement

In August 2007, the Bush Administration agreed to increase U.S. military assistance to Israel by $6 billion over the following decade. Israel is to receive incremental annual increases of $150 mllion, starting at $2.55 billion in FY2009 and reaching $3.15 billion per year for FY2013-2018.

2009	$2.55 billion
2010	$2.70 billion
2011	$2.85 billion
2012	$3.00 billion
2013-2018	$3.15 billion per year

Israel receives the FMF (USA Foreign Military Financing) aid in a lump sum in the first month of the fiscal year. The funds are placed in an interest bearing account and that interest is used to pay down Israel’s debt to the United States, which was $1 billion as of December 2006.

What's different now under Obama is that strings have been attached not used before. 

The $38 billion includes $33 billion in FMF financing funds and an additional $5 billion in missile defense funding.  However, it turns out that it is not wholly a declaration of undying support for a trusted ally from Obama.  He made certain that the agreement includes 2 provisions that can be taken as an added punishment;  not only punishing Netanyahu, but Israel, too.  For it has been seen,  Obama does not like Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister.  Obama doesn't always win the arguments between them!  

I. Previous agreements gave Israel the right to use 25% of the aid money for local purchases of military aid such as things made right in Israel.  Not this time!  

II.  Israel can no longer petition the USA Congress for supplemental funds if the need arises.  Israel cannot accept additional funds should Congress offer!

Why the change?  There are many reasons possible: 

a.  Obama's frustrations with Netanyahu not agreeing or complying with moving back to the 67 so called line. To do so would put Israel in harm's way-in great danger already proven by history.  

b. Obama seeing Israel unlike previous presidents as a friend and ally

c. Obama seeing Israel as a colonialist power fighting poor oppressed Palestinians

                                                                        

d. The USA- Iran deal that Netanyahu arrived uninvited to the Senate begging them not to pass the deal as it stood and to keep the sanctions on them. 
                                                                          

Iran showing hatred and intent for Israel
and Netanyahu, Prime Minister

Ahmadinejad sending an atomic missile

 Israel had been threatened many times to be hit by an atomic bomb.   They will soon have the capacity to do so.  

e.. Obama's revenge, extortion on Netanyahu, for we know there is no love lost here. In 2011 with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama told him after hearing the French tirade of not being able to stand Netanyahu and calling him a liar, Obama retorted, "You're tired of him;  what about me?  I have to deal with him every day." Congressional Republicans and AIPAC also agreed with Netanyahu and were publicly against the Iran deal, opposing such a policy.   My comment is that dealing with real dangers of terrorism is indeed tiring, more to Netanyahu than these 2 couch potatoes.  It must interfere with Obama's golf dates.   

Yes, we thank Congress for passing the deal today,  It seems that Congress is also being punished since Israel can no longer lobby legislators directly now with this 2nd string attached.  Incidentally, it is the body of Congress that allocates funding.  The string prevents Israel from spending any of the aid money locally in Israel.  It Congress wants to allocate additional funds in time of attack-therefore a high state of need, and does so, going against Obama's wishes, Israel will be forced to return the money by this agreement.  Without this agreement after months of haggling, Israel had to comply.                                                          

The hurtful fact is that Iran has already received more than this amount of money from the USA. Remember the money paid to them recently that was due, according to Obama?   Obama gave them $1.7 billion for hostages, but denied the reason and said it was money past due.   "They paid in cash through Swiss banks to Iran around the time American hostages were released this year, about four times the amount originally disclosed to the public."  Why pay in cash like paying a ransom?  " Our government said it was because Iran was desperate for foreign currency after years of Western sanctions, according to one source."  Sure.  

Is Iran now considered a friend after all the deadly and horrid threats they have made to Israel?  We also owe China money, a great deal of money.  Why didn't we pay them first?   

Resource: http://www.wnd.com/2016/09/obamas-revenge-on-israel/#qXAAvr01aMHFmcgQ.14
www.jewishvirtuallibrary/org/source/US-Israel/foreign-aid.html.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/15/big-us-military-aid-package-to-israel-has-strings-attached.html
http://circa.com/politics/us-gave-17-billion-to-iran-as-hostages-were-released-four-times-original-amount