Israel's booming economy puts billions in US aid under spotlight

Isra el's booming economy puts billions in US aid under spotlight

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Boosted by newly discovered natural resources, Israel is surging ahead economically – a success that is pushing the issue of the country's $3 billion in annual aid from the United States onto the agenda. The country made its first intervention in the foreign currency market in almost two years Tuesday, buying $100 million to peg back the growing strength of its shekel. A Bloomberg survey this week said the shekel was the strongest of 31 major currencies tracked over the last six months. Last week, Israel passed another milestone, a potential gamechanger for its economy. Gas began to flow from gas fields off the coast. By 2015 Israel is expected to be fully energy independent, and may be a net exporter. And there’s more good news: In this water-challenged region, Israel is well on the way to water independence. Its water desalination industry supplies up to 40 percent of the country’s demand for water, and another 40 percent comes from recycled water from domestic and commercial consumption. Israel reuses its water two to three times. The boom may give a louder voice to calls for a reduction to the $3 billion worth of financial assistance Israel receives from the U.S. each year – especially in the Washington, where budget battles continue.

It's about time someone starting asking why are we sending Israel money? Their economy is booming while ours is going broke. It is time we cut them off once and for all.

Yep. They no longer need our billions of dollars....WE need our billions of dollars.

Stop sending money to Israel, they're a big boy now, they can take care of themselves.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


I think we need some of their money now. How long has the USA been sending them aid, decades? It's probably about time they sent some love our way.

I would like nothing more than to cut their Aid to 0 and flat line the whole balance sheet to that region. The problem is, we can't JUST cut Israel. Israel and Egypt have both been getting roughly equal payments in relative terms pursuant to the agreements relating to Carter's Camp David Accords. Balance and Parity..... In a way that about fits my mood toward all of that right now, I'd put it as Uncle giving both children equal presents every year so neither gets sassy and throws a tantrum.

Let's 0 them both out and use that much needed funding back home. Israel also has a domestic arms industry that is quite capable as well as international for their own exports as I've followed. 0'ing one and not the other though? Well....War isn't the end result I think anyone wants to see.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Egypt is run by the Muslim Brotherhood so F them, cut em off.

Sometimes the bigger brother can as their smaller brother for a few dollars back..

reply to post by Swills


Israel is run by tyrants.

Your point?

Let's 0 them both out and use that much needed funding back home. Israel also has a domestic arms industry that is quite capable as well as international for their own exports as I've followed. 0'ing one and not the other though? Well....War isn't the end result I think anyone wants to see.

There lies the larger problem. You/we can say "let's" till you're blue in the face, and that is about all you can do, cause the only party that does what it wants, are the one's you (think you) vote in to place. Even if you march up and down washington in the thousands, they will still do what they damn well please. "let's pretend that someone really cares about what we think, or want"
Too bad most of the world is in deep Alpha sleep...

reply to post by FissionSurplus


But doesn't the money that is put on Israel return to the US (and allies) in purchases of armament and to buy political influence as well as a distraction for the Arabs from the artificiality of the House of Saud and maintain the OPEC support of the petro dollar ?

I thought that the money cycle was already well understood by now...

Originally posted by Swills
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Egypt is run by the Muslim Brotherhood so F them, cut em off.

Like I said... Works for me.

Aid to both or 0 to both. I think either one keeps that balance we're supposed to be holding here by the agreements all these years, eh? They have parity and we really need our money back at the moment.

@ 2faced

You do have a point there. Obama is about as friendly to Israel as a desert scorpion, IMHO. However, he does seem to have a sweet spot for the Arab Spring and Egypt's part in particular. Given those pesky agreements he is bound to uphold? I guess he'd likely opt to keep everything status quo over actually cutting both. After all, didn't we just send off more F-16's to Egypt? Hmm.. Well, it sounded good anyway. We really DO need that money back since we're supposedly too broke to suddenly do so many basic things.

Can we ask Israel for a refund? No? How about sanctions?

$3 Billion.. pfft, pesky peasants. Thats just the amount they tell you about..

It will never stop, Israel has enough stooges in the US government. You will be working for Israel for ever!

reply to post by VaterOrlaag


My point? F em both. The USA is run by tyrants also, and so is every other govt on this planet.

reply to post by Panic2k11

But doesn't the money that is put on Israel return to the US (and allies) in purchases of armament and to buy political influence as well as a distraction for the Arabs from the artificiality of the House of Saud and maintain the OPEC support of the petro dollar ?

Lets say I have ice cream to sell for $2 and I give you $2 so that you can buy my ice cream. So you take your $2 that I gave you and buy my ice cream, I have gained nothing since you only gave me my $2 back and you in effect just got free ice cream. Why go through all the trouble of giving them any funds if they are only going to by the US's armaments and political influence with it. You might as well give the armaments and influence for free.

reply to post by buster2010


The money we send to Israel and other places around the world has absolutely nothing to do with economics. It doesn't matter how well any individual nation is doing with their budgets.

We send them money to either gain or maintain influence and oftentimes it is far cheaper than having to go to war. Its a diplomatic measure within foreign policy.

Notice in the Gulf War when Saddam was launching scuds into Israel and they simply sat their and took it. Its because we told them to and we are allowed to do that because they are dependent on that aid to a large degree.

Now if they were on their own what do you think the chances are that they would have simply nuked all of Iraq?

You have to look at the bigger picture here.

reply to post by buster2010


*Sarcasm on*

Omg you anti-Semite!! The chosen people are special!!!!

*Sarcasm off*

haha.. you are sending money to the Israel because you NEED them.

Dont be so naive, this is politics! And where Israel is in the MiddleEast makes it a worthy ally.

I dont think with Jews being the most hated, that Israel would even survive without the USA's backing. It simply has too many enemies about it.

Originally posted by FreedomEntered
haha.. you are sending money to the Israel because you NEED them.

Dont be so naive, this is politics! And where Israel is in the MiddleEast makes it a worthy ally.

edit on 15-4-2013 by FreedomEntered because: (no reason given)

Exactly. Its about the only consistent place in that region we have to operate whatever we have going on out of. The CIA probably is based out of Israel for that region as well as who knows what for our intelligence gathering.

Even taking all politics out of it, I would consider it vital to have a stronghold in a region that we otherwise have basically no inroads to.

Suppose all the Jews were to pack up and leave tomorrow for say Ethiopia and the Palestinians took over. I'd still support sending them massive amounts of money to keep that influence in the region. I'd probably go to Kuwait and let them buy a new military but their amount of money kind of limits our influence.

Who knows what issue we are going to face tomorrow in that region so we need a safe place to base operations out of. Think of Israel as our giant military base in the Middle East.

A worthy allie? who would stab you in the back with a smile, whilst they empty your wallet at the same time. After all we are only goyim to them, they class us as animals. Sub humans, now were have I heard that before? Oh yes it was those evil nazis.

reply to post by Hopechest


I think everyone apart from the old and children/young teens and naturally babies ... HAVE to go into the military to do their time in Israel - no laughing matter. So its a very serious issue with that country. I think it may even be the least safe country in the world.

I do agree that perhaps given the chance that the USA should pull out, but thats only when things are steady in the middle-east if they form other allies perhaps. But Israel also shares very common views with the USA. Its democratic and its also very modern. I dont think Israel can even stick up to USA. They need them also. So they probably take what ever your president wants or says very seriously.

So for now its the best ally.