Israel Considers Military 'Upgrade' With $20 BILLION in U.S. HELP!!

JERUSALEM—Israel may need to boost military spending and could seek as much as an additional $20 billion in U.S. security assistance over the coming years to help it manage potential threats stemming from popular upheavals in the Arab world, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday.

I can't read the full article because I'm not a subscriber to the WSJ, but I think this is probably all we need to know for now. On top of all the U.S. aid going overseas, Israel could seek an additional $20 billion from the U.S. The U.S. needs to stop spending money!! Apparently the U.S.doesn't care how much debt they aquire, and maybe it's a sign of the future.

Israel Upgrade

What do you all think about this?

Nice of them to consider using our tax dollars.

Maybe they didn't get them memo. WE ARE BROKE. Quit taking from us.

It's not as easy as saying "Well, we need to save so cut unnecessary aid to Israel." This would obviously make sense when compared to cutting funding to vital social services at home, but the powerful lobby group American Israel Public Affairs Committee makes sure the money keeps flowing.

All American politicians know it would be political suicide to go against the wishes of Israel. We just need to hold out for politicians that have some backbone and a sense of civic duty to get reasonable change. Sadly, I wouldn't hold my breath

Check out this article for some insight into why military aid won't be cut: Why is Israel aid exempt?

Also check out the US-Israel 10-year Memorandum of Understanding to see why Israel basically has the US by the cahones when it comes to aid for "security purposes": Memorandum of Understanding

They just give them Gaddafi's money they borrowed

Well perhaps we should help them disclose their nuclear arsenal. In doing that, it will be revealed that they have more than enough military might to blow up whoever wants to attack them, and any additional amount of my taxes are not necessary.

When the world is trying to figure out how to go back to living within their means, Israel comes up a plan that will require the US to chip in for their military expenditures, huh. Well, sorry make due with what you have just like everyone else is trying to figure out how to.do.

Why don't they raise their own taxes or limit deductions (like the getting rid of the deductions for settlers in Palestinian lands)? I'm sure they will find a way to raise a good chunk of that 20 billion from the people within their borders who are dependent and desire the additional security.

I think it would be fine for them to upgrade, but I also think they can afford the $20 Billion. Let them buy the stuff. According to my information from a very savvy tour guide in Israel last November, Israel is running a surplus. It has no debt and its balance of trade is also on the positive side. I see no reason why they can't submit purchase orders and pay for anything they need. Of course, since we don;t have the rest of the article, we don;t know that this is not what they are doing. We're kinda flying blind here with that small snippet.

btw, the full article is here, apparently: www.marketwatch.com...

One would think that with the proceeds of the 'russian' mafias' sex trafficking, drug manufacture/smuggling. technologic espionage, weapons and arm sales etc etc, that they'd be able to fund their own self defense upgrades, after all the money still comes from us mostly, but at the very least we'd have some say in degree of involvement.
D'ya wonder what other countries on the globe survive primarily by extracting funds and unilateral protection from other distant nations, on another continent with another political paradigm, another culture, religion, language and goals while surrounding itself with created and antagonized enemies all of which are somehow directed away from the instigator towards the hapless benefactor, all the while, seemingly involved in a counterintuitive associations with their neighboring enemies to destory their benefactor from within by subverting the very culture and religion that finds the grace to provide support based on a tenuous interpretation of national beliefs?
I know, WIEEEERD!!?!

Originally posted by pirhanna
Nice of them to consider using our tax dollars.

Maybe they didn't get them memo. WE ARE BROKE. Quit taking from us.

that fact that we are broke is exactly why they are taking from us more. personally I would do the same thing, drain the current power wielder of all wealth, leave him to crumble on his own infrastructure, and then proceed to conquer, or merely take our weapons of power from them, and let their fallen people destroy themselves.

We give more free money to Israel every year...than this country spends on funding Veterans Affairs.

Sick isn't it?