81% of Americans Oppose $38 Billion Pledge to Israel

81% of Americans Oppose $38 Billion Pledge to Israel
Would redirect to caring for vets, education and lowering national debt

A solid majority of Americans would redirect $38 billion the Obama Administration pledged to Israel toward other priorities.

The Obama administration last week signed an executive agreement with Israel pledging $38 billion ($3.8 billion per year) in foreign aid for fiscal years 2019- 2028. The majority of the proposed spending is for Foreign Military Financing...
http://original.antiwar.com/smith-grant/2016/09/19/81-americans-oppose-38-billion-pledge-israel/


To be honest, I was shocked by this figure. I had no idea that Americans had finally come to grips with this. The awakening may already be happening. Only time will tell now if we can actually do something about it. Will our voices finally be heard?

 

If you ask them about a $38 billion pledge the response is not too surprising.

If you put it honestly and say its $3.8 billion a year my guess is you'd see an entirely different response.

 

Put it however you like, but 81% is a BIG number. Shockingly large actually, consider the nonstop propaganda.

 

I did not realize they needed bailing out, wish we had a big brother that could bail us out, what is their current debt compared to ours?

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my honest response is for what, what are we buying for them for 3.8 billion a year? were funding their military?

I think they should of been moved to America personally, what a cruel joke moving them from Germany to there

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I would rather we stopped aid to Israel entirely, as long as Israel has enough money to build and support settlements in contested lands. They do not need our aid.

 

I think more and more americans are becoming tired with all the aide we give out

 

Only the zio crime gang and their water carriers consider them contested lands.

 

It's no different for me. Whether it's 38 billion or 3.8 billion. When you waste that kind of money and then talk about the vets, the homeless or the poor. It gets ridiculous. Why are we spending on OTHER PEOPLE'S National Security? Since Israel does have its own country and its own rights, they should be able to fund themselves. They no longer need the European-Western connection they've had for the last century. Wasn't that the point of Zionism in the first place?

 

Thats what they asked: 38billion over 10 years.

 

Ok,
I think we all agree with smaller, more local government
lets have the state governments fund this program with state tax revenue

 

It's not bailing us out , we dont see a cent of that money it doesnt carry over to civil lives, just jets and guns for threats we probebly will never face.

F-35's and misslies mainly, some for protection and some for offense, and that's very kind of you but you didnt move us anywhere, Jews came to Palestine because they wanted to in fact many had to do so illegaly, still many did go to America and UK.

 

I agree, but I think there is more in the fund than just giving away money.

 

Makes sense, but how can you explain that even under Obama the aid increased ? I would expect it would decrease, can you explain it besides "Joos control our brains" ? if America main export is Arms and it gives money to Israel to buy Arms just from it and that aid increses over the years regardless of Israeli gov or threats.......what does it mean ? the US funds itself ..... our politicians are just happy to be on the recieving end but I dont think it will matter that much in our area. who needs a fleet of F-35's to fight in Gaza or even Syria ?

 

There is the fact that Israel has been and remains a surrogate or catspaw for us in the area, a way in which we can exert force, or the threat of force, without actually doing so ourselves. They've become a rather fractious, difficult and even dangerous surrogate over time but they remain useful too in enabling us to avoid outright war with certain entities. Most of those from some years ago, such as Iraq and Syria have degenerated into actual war now but they are still useful in keeping 'normal' (that is to say non-warring) relations with Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the other Peninsula states, and, of course, Iran.

 

Awesome! And not just for "contested land." They also don't see ethnic cleansing, apartheid, shooting kids at their checkpoints as a problem, and think shipping them 38 billion for more killing is a good thing.

 

that is bailing you out, and that is 3.5 billion less a year in taxes Israelis need to pay for their military that we pay for you.... so yes, you do see that in you pocket book and it comes out of ours

and yes we did assist in setting up the new Country now known as Israel after Germany tried to murder so many Israelis, I think they would of been better off moving to the USA though

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No.....you forget/unaware of history, when did the aid begin and what did Israel do before it ? we simply would have bought less arms from France and Britain, the aid from the US turned us from an able country to a regional power and now when our enemies are pretty much broken we certainly can do with less.

You assited the same way the USSR assited, you voted on it in the UN, you didnt send Jews to Palestine and didnt assist in turning the Jewish settelments to an indipendant state, in fact you tried to postpone the Israeli indipendance declaration, but yes we had good relations from the begining.

 

You see, on this I agree. Israel now does very well and I don't believe it needs as much help as this. Helping allies is always good... but I think they can get by with a lot less.

I'm not sure "how it was put"; it may have been very clear it was $3.8, over 10 years. I do think that we can use it more than Israel can, and without leaving Israel in harms way.

 

Hmmm.
Israel's main battle tank, made in Israel


Israels home produced fighter aircraft


Israels home produced infantry rifles


(This is a Ukrainian version that is made under license from Israel.)

And something I didn't know is that Israel is the number one maker and exporter of drones, and that Obama has suggested controls on armed drones and the Israelis are not happy about the idea.
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/israel-wary-of-us-armed-drone-initiative

So does Israel really need US taxpayer money?

 

We've been doing that for many decades. I believe that as part of the Israeli - Egyptian peace treaty the United States agreed to provide Israel and Egypt a certain amount of military support.

 

Why should they be tired of foreign aid? US foreign aid spending is less than 1% of the entire federal budget and less than .20% of GDP. At least 20 nations spend more on foreign aid than the US does on a percentage of GDP basis. Collectively, it is almost embarrassing to compare US spending - $31.8 billion vs. the total of the European Union - $87.64 billion ($73.8 billion from member states, $13.85 billion from EU institutions). GDP of both the US & EU are similar around $17 to $18 trillion.

There are two big items the public always get really, really wrong in polls; overestimating the amount of foreign aid spending and underestimating the wealth & income gaps. Just the way it is.........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_development_aid_country_donors

 

Polls are definitely affected by how you ask the question. People hear $38 billion and they think of that large number.

 

$3.8 billion is spit in the bucket. The Bush tax cuts cost about 50x that much in loss revenue each year. If you want more funding for vets, the homeless, and the poor, then support Clinton and her tax increase on m/billionaires. They can certainly afford it. Donald, on the other hand, will drastically cut revenues and funding availability.

And while your at it, vote the Republicans out of congress. They are the real obstacle to the funding you want.

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You think US foreign policy should be a function of each of the 50 individuals states?

Not even the Articles of Confederation supported that idea.

 

Funny thing about the "Lavie" jet project, funny you mentioned it here :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAI_Lavi

Do we need so much ? we can do with less but we get what the US is willing to sell and in our era it's the F35's , Im pretty sure we cant just get anything we want from the US shop, we can't use it all on tanks for example, in this park we get the coupons (not real money) and the directions to which facilities we can use it on.

 

of course cause their taxes will pay that large number....

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this isn't anti-Israel, how about you give me $100,000 and if you don't like it i call you anti Fresh Air