The Israelis are so brazen in their extortion racket on US politicians this is what you find in a newspaper like Haaretz:
Israel has started pondering a question that can’t be avoided for long, and whose strategic significance is not in doubt: How much American money should Israel ask for?
Read all of it, very instructive.
Dear Issandr,
Rosner usually has pretty interesting, and often good, articles.
In this one, however, he forgets one main issue: Even if the US doesn’t give “civilian aid” to Israel, by increasing the military aid it allows Israel to spend less of its own money on the military, thereby effectively having more for civilian aid.
Sooo … it doesn’t matter what they officially call it – aid is aid.
I wonder if the Egyptians ever get that smart.
–MSK
http://www.aqoul.com
I worked as a journalist in Washington DC where I met this guy writing this piece. As his title states, he is the DC correspondent for Haaretz. And a shame at that. He writes, that one of the reasons Israel will not give up on assistance alltogether is because of a “human tendency not to reject something that is offered. ” First of all, since when did Israel have such a “human” face.
Which leads to the second point. Is it then not also human tendency for Palestinians to object to occupation, humiliation, degradation and death? Well as he so casually states Israel’s “human” instinct to accept money like a poor child to its parent, I would argue simply that Israel need not ask for more over the next 10 years for its “security.”
Rather than beg for more money, she could always consider being more “humane.” That would surely help her “security.”
I suppose you would be just as incredulous if the PA publicly debated how much and who to accept aid from? I.e. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt etc.?
“a low price for Israel’s cooperation” ?!
I would love to know if any flag-waving Zionists actually believe that. I think this might be something Israel shares with its Arab neighbours since Egypt uses similar language in justifying its compromising position.
I think its worth considering that the cost to America is more than just dollar amount of aid Israel gets (im leaving aside a tarnished reputation and the unyeilding hostility of a billion odd Muslims). America doles out cash and trade benefits to Arab states for maintaining frost-covered peace treaties with Israel. these handouts keep dysfunctional regimes in power through methods which helped to fuel radicalism in the first place… wouldnt we all be better off if the U.S. stopped financing Israel in the first place. after all, Israel seems to be saying its only taking the money as a favour anyway.