News-Record.com

so how much aid do we give?
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Though Israel ranks 23rd on the global development index - above Greece, Singapore, Portugal and Brunei - it remains the world's largest recipient of US aid. The US government dispensed $11bn of civil foreign assistance in 2004. Of this, Israel received $555m; the three poorest nations on earth - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Niger - were given a total of $69m. More importantly, last year Israel also received $2.2bn of military aid.

[Israel] does not depend economically on this assistance. Its gross domestic product amounts to $155bn, and its military budget to $9.5bn. It manufactures many of its own weapons and buys components from all over the world, including - as the Guardian revealed last week - the United Kingdom. Rather, it depends upon it diplomatically. Most of the money given by the US foreign military financing programme - in common with all US aid disbursements - is spent in the United States. Israel uses it to obtain F-15 and F-16 jets; Apache, Cobra and Blackhawk helicopters; AGM, AIM and Patriot missiles, M-16 rifles, M-204 grenade launchers and M-2 machine guns ... laser-guided bombs, even now, are being sent to Israel from the United States.

In response to JDR's question as to how much aid we should give to Israel, providing I understand him correctly, although we may differ on specific details I am in basic agreement.

Australia, for instance, has the same military technology transfer clearance as Israel, but we aren't bankrolling it.

I do think it's in our best long term interest to have a continued ability to influence Israel's military policies but also am convinced that such ability could be more sensably achieved through other means.

The lte writer's cease fire stance is however problematic. I find the continued loss of human life in the current conflict to be deplorable, but at the same time have no desire to see "feel good" politics usurp a long term perspective on the situation.

The optimum cease fire implementation would involve the dedicated committment of the Lebanese government to enforce prior United Nations resolutions, disarm Hezbollah, occupy their southern provinces in force, and diligently prevent the infiltration of Hezbollah's influence into the troops so placed.

That is not presently feasible.

In the interim I would like to see a multi-national, perhaps NATO force, inserted in numbers sufficient to eliminate further missile and mortar attacks with the goal of removing Israel's need for and justification of the use of it's own military forces.

But here's the rub. Such a force could not be inserted as toothless observers but would have to immediately establish itself as fully willing to use it's weaponry to put an end to Hezbollah's current activities.

Given the history of Hezbollah, I fear that a cease fire at this point would soon deteriorate into another shooting match with nothing other than a different cast of participants.

In the long term, the only cure for a continuation or resumation of the bloodshed lies in the hands of the Lebanese government, and with it a given that it does not currently have either the inclination or capability to truly weed out the terrorists within it's borders, it is left to the world community to provide them with both.

At this point most Lebanese, with arguable justification, don't see Hezbollah as terrorists in the first place.

An immediate cease-fire?

Sounds great, but the devil is in the details.

"Only discussion and compromise will work."

How many global conflicts over time has discussion and compromise ever really solved? I agree that violence causes much grief and loss, but it seems that discussion and compromise only is successful after the participants have grown weary of conflict and violence. Sadly, history has shown that it is usually the loser or soon to be loser that wants to have compromise.

In an ideal world discussion and compromise would be the perfect solution to most every problem. Unfortunately we don't live in that ideal world, in spite of what some people may think. Hezbollah has been preparing for this for the past six years. They are the ones guilty of war crimes. Didn't you know it's a war crime to use innocent civilians as human shields? Just last night on O'Reilly the Israeli ambassador to the UN stated it was his honest belief that Hezbollah was happy about the events in Qana. There's no doubt Hezbollah has profitted from that situation. I wonder what Mr. Kirkman would consider to be a "civilized" reponse to the blatant acts of war committed against Israel.

TRY TO ENGAGE SYRIA!
Their alliance is "unnatural" with Iran. We don't even have an ambassador there, so why not try to drive the wedge between Syria and Iran, thus negating the arms flow to the terrorists?

Why not? Because Mr. "W", Texas Ranger would have to abandon his bravado and actually do some REAL negotiating. The real linchpin in the struggle is dividing the unnatural allies of Iran and Syria. That would lead to a better situation not only in Iraq, but in the bitter fighting between Israel, Hammas, and Hizbollah.

Is it 2008 yet?

"The only cure for a continuation or resumation of the bloodshed [IN THIS LOCAL AREA ONLY] lies in the hands of the Lebanese government ... [which] does not currently have .. capability to truly weed out the terrorists ... "

I agree - but as a Monday Morning Quarterback, I ask where the heck was GWB, a.k.a. Mr. Middle East Democracy for the past few years.

I know it's sour grapes - but dammit, ya'll been telling me how wonderful life is and will remain under his leadership.

"Didn't you know it's a war crime to use innocent civilians as human shields?"

I'm sure they would say putting electric wires on a prisioners testicals fits the same description, but since no one's wearing Uniforms, GWB has exempted the world from world rules .. right?

JDR,

Next time please warn me before you mention "electric wires on prisoner's testicles".

I've just spent the past five minutes trying to coax mine out of my abdominal cavity where they fled in horror at the thought.

" ... the Israeli ambassador to the UN stated ... Hezbollah was happy about the events in Qana."

Duhhh. Obviously he doesn't know all's fair in love and war.

Hezbollah has (as pointed out above) been planning this for years, probably in coordination and def' with the support of Iran and Syria .... and Israel took the bait, and are now a fish hooked on strong filament.

Jews tried appeasement and non-violence in the late 1930's...that resulted in the Holocaust.
I pray they destroy Hezbollah so they don't have a terrorist group on their border fighting to destroy all Jews again.

Jan...I have thought all along that you were a gal, but your above comments assure me you are a guy. Shame on JDR.

If anyone thinks we can kill all the "terrorists" in the world, they are obviously not paying attention. Kill 10 and you create 100 it appears to me.

Until we have people from all countries who truly want peace, the guns and bombs will fly. Wait, wait, don't tell me...peace is not a money making condition.

Most atrocities are caused by greed. Greed for money, land, power.

It's time for us to become uninvolved in the Middle East. We need to stop bankrolling Israel. We need to get out of Iraq. The world is aware of what we do and why we do it. When it suited our needs we supported Saddam and even provided him with weapons. We have made things much worse in the region with our meddling and have made many enemies making us a prime target for retribution from those we have harmed. Terrorism will only get worse as long as we play these dangerous games. What the letter writer says makes sense.

Anthony Morton:

As long as you're willing to give up oil, we can do that.

Here're soms suggestions to get you on the path:

http://ran.org/fileadmin/materials/education/factsheets/RAN_OilFacts.pdf

" Only discussion and compromise will work."

Israel is discussing on whether to wipe out the vermin for a 25 or 75 mile 'Hezbollah free zone' along the border. I suppose they could 'compromise' and settle for a 50 mile rocket free zone.
This is the type of "discussion and compromise" that works.

And one day, weapons will be beaten into plow shares (farming equipment). I wait for that day anxiously.

WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER!
(www.afsc.org & www.fcnl.org)

Shalom

JDR, The Rainforest Action Network of San Francisco, CA? You are too funny!!

I particularly like the part about running airplanes with solar power. Sorry but the FAA only approves Avgas 100 octane (leaded for that matter, my how evil) for my airplane. BTW, it's now $4.20 a gallon at my airport. Thanks for the laugh.

Darryl, If I were Israeli, I would rather have my govt. protecting me with F-16's instead of plow shares. I do admire your idealism, no matter how naive it is.

Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who didn't.

Yeah, that war thing is really working well, isn't it? We can just kill them all and all will be well...

Carol,
I'm with you. That "war thing" is really working out for those folks. And to think they call Darryl naive.

Glad you don't know German or Japanese as your first language DD. I respect Darryl's opinions, but pacifists are naive in respect to the world we live in.

Dan,
Once again, your "pro life" credentials seem to be quite bogus.