Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu demands ‘up to $45 bn’ in US military aid

[Chef Ramsay]

Israel is hoping to receive $4.2-$4.5 billion a year in military aid from the United States for ten years, to counter the threat from Iran and oil-rich Middle East states that have been re-arming rapidly, a senior Israeli source has told Defense News

Under a 10-year deal signed in 2007, Israel receives just over $3 billion a year in American aid, with stipulations that over 70 percent of that aid has to be spent buying US military hardware. An extension of that agreement, running to 2028, was principally agreed on by Barack Obama during a visit to Israel in 2013, but according to Haaretz, talks on its terms have been “preliminary and unofficial.”
...
with stipulations that over 70 percent of that aid has to be spent buying US military hardware  MIC subsidies

http://rt.com/news/262505-israel-military-aid-us/

[bryant.coleman]

As long as the Jewish voting bloc remains stong in the United States, the Israelis will continue to leach off their  American allies. Although they are just 2% of the population, the Jewish vote is very crucial in swing states such as Florida. That said, the $4.5 billion aid mentioned here amounts to less than 1% of the American defence budget, which is hovering at $600 billion per year.

[saddampbuh]

its like ariel sharon said, the jewish people control america and the americans know it

[u9y42]

As long as the Jewish voting bloc remains stong in the United States, the Israelis will continue to leach off their  American allies. Although they are just 2% of the population, the Jewish vote is very crucial in swing states such as Florida. That said, the $4.5 billion aid mentioned here amounts to less than 1% of the American defence budget, which is hovering at $600 billion per year.

Of course it's not insignificant where the "aid" money is going, but I can't help seeing this as more of a subsidy for US weapons manufacturers, than anything else - as the article puts it, the majority of that money, 70%, is to be spent buying US military hardware. And it should go without saying that, this is a great incentive for other countries in the region to also spend more of their money on (likely American) military hardware, generating even more profit.

[Trifixion713]

its like ariel sharon said, the jewish people control america and the americans know it

And Netanyahu: "America is something that can easily be moved..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrtuBas3Ipw

[criptix]

the military–industrial complex is strong in this one.

i wonder how many of theses "aid" contracts exist and how much money overall goes back to the us industries and the entities profiting from it?

it seems the imf and worldbank led by the us have similiar approaches of aiding third world countries.

According to SIPRI, total world spending on military expenses in 2009 was $1.531 trillion US dollars. 46.5% of this total, roughly $712 billion US dollars, was spent by the United States.[23] The privatization of the production and invention of military technology also leads to a complicated relationship with significant research and development of many technologies.

The military budget of the United States for the 2009 fiscal year was $515.4 billion. Adding emergency discretionary spending and supplemental spending brings the sum to $651.2 billion.[24] This does not include many military-related items that are outside of the Defense Department budget. Overall the United States government is spending about $1 trillion annually on defense-related purposes.[25]

The defense industry tends to contribute heavily to incumbent members of Congress.[26]

In a 2012 news story, Salon reported, "Despite a decline in global arms sales in 2010 due to recessionary pressures, the U.S. increased its market share, accounting for a whopping 53 percent of the trade that year. Last year saw the U.S. on pace to deliver more than $46 billion in foreign arms sales."[27]

[bryant.coleman]

its like ariel sharon said, the jewish people control america and the americans know it

The influence has been weakened under the rule of Obama. Obama is not very pro-Israel, when compared to his predecessors such as George Bush and Bill Clinton. Anyway, his term is nearing an end, and the next POTUS (Hillary Clinton) will again make the Americans obedient servants of the Israelis. Also, remember Chelsea Clinton's recent conversion to Judaism. 

[sintax]

Isn't it time Bibi started buying his own weapons rather than scrounge off American taxpayers?

Maybe he's ran out of ice cream again? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/15/binyamin-netanyahu-ice-cream

But the revelation that the Israeli prime minister has a budget in excess of £1,700 to feed his formidable ice-cream cravings has caused a media storm in Israel and delivered a gift to his political opponents.

[maku]

Helping Israel is convenient for US because Israel is an "island" on a difficult terrain. Middle East is difficult for US yet very important because of oil, so having someone in the region that you can relay on is helpful. $4.5 billion a year is a healthy sum but if 70% of that will be used to pump up US military market then that's not a bad deal.

[jaysabi]

As long as the Jewish voting bloc remains stong in the United States, the Israelis will continue to leach off their  American allies. Although they are just 2% of the population, the Jewish vote is very crucial in swing states such as Florida. That said, the $4.5 billion aid mentioned here amounts to less than 1% of the American defence budget, which is hovering at $600 billion per year.

Of course it's not insignificant where the "aid" money is going, but I can't help seeing this as more of a subsidy for US weapons manufacturers, than anything else - as the article puts it, the majority of that money, 70%, is to be spent buying US military hardware. And it should go without saying that, this is a great incentive for other countries in the region to also spend more of their money on (likely American) military hardware, generating even more profit.

Exactly, Jews don't control squat in America compared to the military-industrial complex. The MIC runs the show. War is a profitable business, and business is booming (pun intended, not ashamed).

[solid12345]

Helping Israel is convenient for US because Israel is an "island" on a difficult terrain. Middle East is difficult for US yet very important because of oil, so having someone in the region that you can relay on is helpful. $4.5 billion a year is a healthy sum but if 70% of that will be used to pump up US military market then that's not a bad deal.

+1 we get alot of intelligence from the Mossad so it pays for itself, not to mention the civilian benefits we get from Israeli scientists and doctors who are always discovering new things.

And I don't care what people say, if we threw the Jews in the ocean it's not going to make the Muslim world like us any more or less. Once Israel is gone then they'll be demanding Spain/Al-Andalus back next, it's just a game nothing more.

[koshgel]

As long as the Jewish voting bloc remains stong in the United States, the Israelis will continue to leach off their  American allies. Although they are just 2% of the population, the Jewish vote is very crucial in swing states such as Florida. That said, the $4.5 billion aid mentioned here amounts to less than 1% of the American defence budget, which is hovering at $600 billion per year.

Both parties are lobbied by AIPAC and every candidate has to have policy that appeases the Israelis. We shouldn't be giving foreign aid to ANY country. We have enough deficits, shortages, and educational issues in the US as it is.

[keyscore44]

And I don't care what people say, if we threw the Jews in the ocean it's not going to make the Muslim world like us any more or less. Once Israel is gone then they'll be demanding Spain/Al-Andalus back next, it's just a game nothing more.

lol talk about scaremongering, Israel could turn the entire Middle East to dust if they so wished. There is absolutely no risk of Israel being destroyed, anyone who believes that is just pandering to the Zionist fear factory.

Even if the the US did stop providing military aid (which I doubt will ever happen), there is still no Muslim nation that can match Israel's military capability.

[solid12345]

lol talk about scaremongering, Israel could turn the entire Middle East to dust if they so wished. There is absolutely no risk of Israel being destroyed, anyone who believes that is just pandering to the Zionist fear factory.

Even if the the US did stop providing military aid (which I doubt will ever happen), there is still no Muslim nation that can match Israel's military capability.

Have you seen how tiny Israel is in a geographic map of the middle east? Yes they are mighty now, but if god forbid ISIS took over the whole Arab world and one day marched a million soldiers towards Jerusalem, no amount of weaponry is going to save them. Yes they might be able to nuke their enemies but will just kill themselves in the process.

The reason Israel maintains a strong military is BECAUSE they are outnumbered by a huge margin, 8 million Israelis v.s 365 million Arabs, it is staggering...

anyone who believes that is just pandering to the Zionist fear factory.

I think the only ones living in irrational fear are people who thinks a nation the size of Rhode Island is the world's number 1 threat.

[maku]

And I don't care what people say, if we threw the Jews in the ocean it's not going to make the Muslim world like us any more or less. Once Israel is gone then they'll be demanding Spain/Al-Andalus back next, it's just a game nothing more.

lol talk about scaremongering, Israel could turn the entire Middle East to dust if they so wished. There is absolutely no risk of Israel being destroyed, anyone who believes that is just pandering to the Zionist fear factory.

Even if the the US did stop providing military aid (which I doubt will ever happen), there is still no Muslim nation that can match Israel's military capability.

I wouldn't be so sure about that, look what's happening with the ISIS, I wouldn't underestimate terrorists. And if military aid wouldn't be necessary then Israel wouldn't be asking of it.

[tvbcof]

its like ariel sharon said, the jewish people control america and the americans know it

The influence has been weakened under the rule of Obama. Obama is not very pro-Israel, when compared to his predecessors such as George Bush and Bill Clinton. Anyway, his term is nearing an end, and the next POTUS (Hillary Clinton) will again make the Americans obedient servants of the Israelis. Also, remember Chelsea Clinton's recent conversion to Judaism. 

In 2008 I only voted in the primaries so I could vote against H. Clinton.  This acquiescence to Israel was the main reason why.  The interceding years have only strengthened my suspicion that she sell us to Israel as a nation of servants if not simply give us away for whatever reason she has.

In the 2008 general election the alternate was McCain singing 'bomb, bomb, bomb bomb-bomb Iran.'  That was enough to vote for Obama who I didn't know anything about.  I've got almost nothing good to say about Obama and he was worse than I thought and worse than Cheney in some critical ways, but I do recognize that he has at least not bombed Iran.  Yet.  Whether it's because his handlers don't wish to (because they are bright as was Rice) or just busy totally fucking up other countries (Libya, Syria, etc) and is getting to it, I don't know.  My sense is at this point that it (and very possibly WWW-III or a more gentle shift into one-world govt) is planned for Hillary's watch.

[Spendulus]

its like ariel sharon said, the jewish people control america and the americans know it

Nonsense.  More crap anti-Jew propaganda by Jew-haters.

[jaysabi]

lol talk about scaremongering, Israel could turn the entire Middle East to dust if they so wished. There is absolutely no risk of Israel being destroyed, anyone who believes that is just pandering to the Zionist fear factory.

Even if the the US did stop providing military aid (which I doubt will ever happen), there is still no Muslim nation that can match Israel's military capability.

Have you seen how tiny Israel is in a geographic map of the middle east? Yes they are mighty now, but if god forbid ISIS took over the whole Arab world and one day marched a million soldiers towards Jerusalem, no amount of weaponry is going to save them. Yes they might be able to nuke their enemies but will just kill themselves in the process.

The reason Israel maintains a strong military is BECAUSE they are outnumbered by a huge margin, 8 million Israelis v.s 365 million Arabs, it is staggering...

anyone who believes that is just pandering to the Zionist fear factory.

I think the only ones living in irrational fear are people who thinks a nation the size of Rhode Island is the world's number 1 threat.

Assuming every Arab is an enemy of Israel and out for its destruction is not an honest depiction of the situation. ISIS isn't capable of amassing a million fighters. When there were entire nations that wanted to destroy Israel (and tried) they weren't able to amass a million soldiers.

[bryant.coleman]

In the 2008 general election the alternate was McCain singing 'bomb, bomb, bomb bomb-bomb Iran.'  That was enough to vote for Obama who I didn't know anything about.  I've got almost nothing good to say about Obama and he was worse than I thought and worse than Cheney in some critical ways, but I do recognize that he has at least not bombed Iran.  Yet.  Whether it's because his handlers don't wish to (because they are bright as was Rice) or just busy totally fucking up other countries (Libya, Syria, etc) and is getting to it, I don't know.  My sense is at this point that it (and very possibly WWW-III or a more gentle shift into one-world govt) is planned for Hillary's watch.

Whatever we say about Obama, we have to admit the fact that he was one of the most pacifist presidents the United States ever had. He withstood enormous pressure from all corners, and refused to bomb Iran. Well, what is happening right now in Libya and Syria should be blamed on warmongers such as Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Obama was more or less neutral on these two nations.

[tvbcof]

In the 2008 general election the alternate was McCain singing 'bomb, bomb, bomb bomb-bomb Iran.'  That was enough to vote for Obama who I didn't know anything about.  I've got almost nothing good to say about Obama and he was worse than I thought and worse than Cheney in some critical ways, but I do recognize that he has at least not bombed Iran.  Yet.  Whether it's because his handlers don't wish to (because they are bright as was Rice) or just busy totally fucking up other countries (Libya, Syria, etc) and is getting to it, I don't know.  My sense is at this point that it (and very possibly WWW-III or a more gentle shift into one-world govt) is planned for Hillary's watch.

Whatever we say about Obama, we have to admit the fact that he was one of the most pacifist presidents the United States ever had. He withstood enormous pressure from all corners, and refused to bomb Iran. Well, what is happening right now in Libya and Syria should be blamed on warmongers such as Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Obama was more or less neutral on these two nations.

I actually don't get the sense that very many presidents since perhaps the Jonhson/Nixon era have had much or their own input on things.  Carter perhaps somewhat.  Ironically also perhaps GW Bush at the very end of his last term, but only about trivialities and mostly because he was pushed around so badly that he got sick of it.  My feeling about Obama is that he is the most puppet president ever and I don't really give him personally any credit for our activities regarding Iran.  On the flip side, I cannot offload very much of the blame for the tons of shitty things he has done to him personally.  I really feel that our 'democracy' is turning into a sick joke.