The U.S. Has an Israel Problem, and Taxpayers Are Footing the Bill

No other country has received such a large ‘aid’ package from the United States

By Vijay Prashad / AlterNet

September 14, 2016 | http://www.alternet.org/world/us-israel-problem

The United States government, led by President Barack Obama, has pledged Israel $38 billion over ten years in military assistance. This money will include Israeli purchase of American missile defence systems – a shield against attack. But this is not what defines the deal. The money will mainly go to Israel’s offensive military capacity that includes weapon systems used against Palestinians – particularly in the frequent attacks by Israel on Gaza. The ‘aid’ package is not only for Israel – which benefits greatly from this largess – but it will be a massive boondoggle for US arms manufacturers. The United States taxpayer will pay Israel $38 billion so that Israel has to turn around and buy weapons systems from the US weapons monopoly firms. This is a cosy agreement, which benefits Israel and the weapons dealers but not the US taxpayer and not the Palestinians. They are the ones who lose.

For the record, each US taxpayer will be paying over $300 per head to the Israelis and the arms industry. Scare resources in this country will go, essentially, towards the illegal Occupation of the Palestinians. http://www.alternet.org/world/us-israel-problem