HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
. . Matter in Motion through Space and Time ... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] [Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, April 26, 2002 6:06 AM Subject: [kominform2] US foreign aid to Israel From: Al-Hewar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 10:09:38 -0400 To: undisclosed-recipients:; Subject: [AM] US foreign aid to Israel From: MIFTAH The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) Fact Sheet: US foreign aid to Israel April 14, 2002 İ A) The nature of US foreign aid to Israel A1. Constitutes 30% of the total US foreign aid budget, which renders Israel to be the largestİ recipient of US aid in the world Since 1987, the US congress has annually been approving a foreign aid bill totaling an average ofİ $3 billion to Israel, $1.2 billion in economical aid, and $1.8 billion in military aid. İİİİ After the gulf war in 1991, the US has additionally been offering Israel $2 billion annually in federal loan guarantees, which brings the total US foreign aid to Israel to about $5 billion, or $13.7 million per day. This amount excludes the approximate $1.5 billion in total tax-deductible private donations from numerous Jewish charities and individual donors. İİİİ All in all, this is the largest amount of foreign aid given to a country, and constitutes 30% of the total amount of US foreign aid budget. İİİİ A2. Started in 1948 and gradually increased over the years Soon after the Truman decision in 1948 to recognize Israel as a Jewish State, the US Congress approved an aid package in the form of a $135 million Export-Import Bank loan in order to take in holocaust survivors and provide them with homes. İİİİ Until 1973, aid was mainly made up of military, economic and export-import bank loans, although annual economic grants ranging between $0.1 and $74 million were also offered between the years 1951 and 1962. İİİİ After the 1973 war, the US aid to Israel constituted largely of military and economic grants to help strengthen the Israeli defense forces. This included $12-80 million, which was annually grantedİ towards the establishment of Jewish refugee camps. İİİİ This TABLE shows the history of US financial assistance to Israel, as documented by the Jewish Virtual Library. Notice the pattern of increased assistance over the years for economic, military and Jewish refugee grants, especially after 1973. This pattern reflects the US interests (section A3) in empowering Israel as the only democratic, close ally in the region, and not for the pureİ intent to assist a developing country. İİİİ A3. Promotes American interests in the Middle East The US funding to Israel acts as the backbone for the strategic partnership between both countries. By advancing Israel's technological and military powers, the US is able to share intelligence information regarding Arab militant groups, like Hizbullah, as well as information regarding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in countries such as Iran, Iraq and Syria. İİİİ Three quarters of the military aid to Israel goes for importing US-made military equipment such asİ F-16 and Apache attack helicopters. This creates a job market for US citizens and transforms Palestine into a test ground for US made weaponry, used daily against Palestinians. İİİİ Israel has cooperated with the US arms industry to develop more effective military equipment at affordable costs to the US. About one quarter of the military aid to Israel is contributed towards military research and development, where several innovative jet fighters, missiles and navigating and targeting devices have been manufactured and sold back to the US. Examples are the ITALD, Litening, Popeye and the UAV. İİİİ A4. Proposed by Israel in 1998 to be reduced in an effort to establish an economically independent country In 1998, according to an agreement with the Clinton Administration and Congress, Israel voluntarily requested to decrease its financial dependence on US economic aid by phasing it out over a period of 10 years. İİİİ The $1.2 billion in economic aid will be reduced by $120 million each year until it is down to zero in the year 2008. This will help Israel to become an economically independent country. İİİİ However, 50% of the savings (i.e. $60 million) each year will be added to an emergency military aid fund to Israel. This demonstrates the US's persistence and commitment to help Israel gain control of the region. İİİİ B) The controversy for US foreign aid to Israel İİİİ B1. Granted in disproportion to Israel's size and needs Israel is an economically, technologically, and militarily advanced country, with a per capita rate of $14,000, which is higher that that of all neighboring Arab countries, including the oil-rich Saudiİ Arabia. It is ranked as the world's sixteenth wealthiest country, yet the US aid to Israel constitutes 30% of the total US foreign aid budget. İİİİ Israeli population is 5.8 million, which only constitutes one thousandth of the world's total İİİİ population. Between the years 1949 and 1998, the US has provided a total of $84 billion in aid toİ Israel, which exceeds that given to all countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean combined, with a total population of about 1.054 billion people. İİİİ B2. Promotes the illegal occupation of Palestinian land in order to establish settlements for Jewish immigrants İİİİ A portion of US foreign aid to Israel, which has increased in the past decade to $80 millionİ annually, goes into building settlements for Jewish immigrants. This occurs by the illegal confiscation of Palestinian land and home demolition to allow for space. Jewish settlements surround every single Palestinian city in the West Bank, and their rapid construction since 1973 has prevented the creation of a feasible Palestinian State. İİİİ Jewish settlements are built on confiscated Palestinian land to accommodate Jewish immigrants from all over the world, based on the Israeli Law of Return. These immigrants are guaranteed the right to Israeli citizenship, free Hebrew learning, and immediate employment. On the other hand, Palestinian refugees who were forced to flee their homes in 1948 and 1967 are forbidden from returning to their towns of origin. İİİİ B3. Transforms Palestine into a military test ground Seventy five percent of US military aid to Israel goes into purchasing US-made military equipment, such as tanks, machine guns, bullets, helicopter gunships, and more. The US depends on Israel to test new military technologies in war conditions. For example, uranium-depleted ammunition has been fired at civilians in Palestine. İİİİ B4. Violates US Law and abuses human rights The Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of the United States, which provides guidelines for the eligibility of certain countries to purchase US-made weapons and military equipment, states in section 116 that "No assistance may be provided under this part to the government of anyİ country which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized İİİİ human rights." However, Israeli army engages daily in degrading and inhumane treatments towards Palestinians, such as prolonged detention without charges, strip searches at checkpoints, beatings, torture, and home demolitions. According to Amnesty International, Israelİ is the only country that legalizes torture. İİİİ Similarly, section 4 of the Arms Export control Act prevents the US government from selling defense articles to countries that abuse their use for non-self-defense purposes. In 2001, the US State Department described the actions of Israeli army against Palestinians as an "excessive use of force," referring to the use of live ammunition when soldiers were not in a pending danger. This clearly shows that the US does not agree with the way these weapons are being used againstİ Palestinians, yet the US military aid to Israel continues consistently as agreed between both countries. İ İİİİ SOURCES İİİİ Al-Awda, http://al-awda.org İİİİ Global Exchange, http://www.globalexchange.org İİİİ The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, http://www.aipac.org İİİİ The Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.us-israel.org/jsource İİİİ The Palestine monitor, http://www.palestinemonitor.org İİİİ USAID, http://www.usaid.gov İİİİ Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, http://www.wrmea.com İİİİ http://www.miftah.org _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Katsauksia suomeksi: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Stock for $4 and no minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/k6cvND/n97DAA/ySSFAA/VL0olB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Peruuta ryhmän tilaus lähettämällä sähköpostia osoitteeseen: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
