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Not foreign aid, subsidy to major US defence contractors

Reader comment on item: End U.S. Aid to Israel

Submitted by Josiah Rotenberg (Israel), Jul 26, 2016 at 10:37

I am not a military expert, but am sure that if Israel were free to shop for whatever it decided it needed wherever it was available, they would get more for their money and think more seriously about it. (Is buying the F-35 the right thing to do?)

However, despite complaints in the US about this aid, most of the money goes back to the US. I suspect that if the Israeli government said no thanks to the aid, you would see a lot of pressure from the big US defence contractors to strong arm Israel into keeping this program in place. To some extent (or perhaps a very large extent) this is not a foreign aid program, but a program designed to force a major arms buyer to buy American, I think you should think of it as a subsidy to Boeing etc (interestingly, El Al is also forced to buy from Boeing exclusively as well – they deny it, but it is clearly true).

Thus, I am not sure that Israel could unilaterally disarm, so to speak.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (30) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
money will not destroy Iran's nuclear facilities [95 words]mythAug 16, 2016 20:40231441
F-35s and the Iranian threat [539 words]Michael SAug 18, 2016 15:36231441
It's Not About The Money - It's About Loyalty In Spite of the Money [337 words]M ToveyAug 10, 2016 15:50231279
Rejection history of US aid [104 words]PezDispenserAug 3, 2016 02:53231165
U.S. weaponry benefits whom? [16 words]Lee WelterJul 31, 2016 15:47231104
I love Israel and that is why I do not want Mrs Clinton in the White House [164 words]PrashantJul 29, 2016 12:41231031
Support for trump [39 words]TonyAug 12, 2016 06:14231031
1Name-calling is unproductive [83 words]Michael SAug 16, 2016 02:51231031
3Further compelling reasons to stop the aid [328 words]EricJul 29, 2016 10:06231029
2Wanna make a deal? [120 words]There is NO Santa ClausJul 28, 2016 22:38231015
The United States has a military presence and gives aid all around the world yet has few friends. [135 words]LynnJul 28, 2016 12:44231007
1Trump regarding Israel and Nato [36 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
SteinJul 27, 2016 19:09230984
1Trump wants to strengthen NATO [231 words]Michael SJul 31, 2016 04:03230984
US END AID TO ISRAEL [124 words]RafiJul 27, 2016 11:50230973
Stopping aid to Israel is a suicidal genocidal proposition [21 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AlanJul 27, 2016 07:35230966
Agree, with caveats [180 words]TirtzaJul 27, 2016 04:35230961
Joke [127 words]Charles NutterJul 27, 2016 04:00230959
3unrealistic suggestion [388 words]danteJul 27, 2016 02:28230958
1Just a great ROI. [65 words]stevenlJul 27, 2016 00:14230956
The Sooner The Better [58 words]Liz WagnerJul 26, 2016 20:41230946
Partially disagree [121 words]Peter StollJul 26, 2016 20:40230942
No Deal May Be Better Than Latest Deal [101 words]DaveJul 26, 2016 19:08230938
a different approach [121 words]Laurie KursJul 26, 2016 16:59230916
ONLY if aid money were cut to Israel's enemies... [7 words]Carol NeilsonJul 26, 2016 13:46230905
Fascinating two comments [225 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ron ThompsonJul 26, 2016 13:15230903
Yes indeed Mr. Netanyahu talks... [61 words]SHmuel HaLeviJul 26, 2016 11:13230893
Not foreign aid, subsidy to major US defence contractors [179 words]Josiah RotenbergJul 26, 2016 10:37230892
Well, maybe [95 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Solomon2Jul 26, 2016 10:33230891
1What is Bandow 90/91 correct policies? [28 words]Nancy BrennerJul 26, 2016 10:08230890
yes !! [5 words]Anne JulienneJul 26, 2016 08:32230887

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