Israel will encompass 53% of total U.S. Foreign Military Financing in 2016

originally posted by: dashen
a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

The Palestinians got half a billion in 2014.
Didn't seem to stop them much.
Egypt got several billion.
The jihad is still strong with them.
and don't even get me started on Saudi Arabia

How much of that half billion was weapons like we give Israel?
The reason why Egypt gets money is because for some retarded reason America got stuck with paying Egypt 1.5 billion a year due to it's peace agreement with Israel.

a reply to: liteonit6969

It was tongue in cheek, if you clicked my link and checked reason why other thread was closed you would have understood.

How can the USA give anyone any money when it itself is in so much debt?

originally posted by: olaru12
I wonder which member will be the first out of the box with the comment that this is just more atheistic, Jew bashing antisemitism and ignoring the gist of the article.

Im just waiting for the thread to get closed.

You can critize every other country on ATS but Israel? Nope that makes you a evil Anti semite....

a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

By screwing our Vets and starving our elderly, thats how we can afford to give money away.

a reply to: voyger2

Perhaps Israel gets more military aid money because:

1. Israel does not openly oppose the US and its policies (as other middle eastern states do).
   
2. Israel & the US have common democratic goals.
   
3. Israel & the US have agreements to share results of military research and secrets.
   
4. Israel is under sustained attack by terrorist forces (according to US definition of terrorism).
   
5. Israel is surrounded by states that are hostile and have historically taken (unsuccessful) military action against it several times.
   
6. According to a February 2015 Gallup poll, 62% of Americans have sympathies with Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
   
7. According to a February 2015 Pew Research poll, only 18% of respondents said that the US was too financially supportive of Israel.
   
8. Iran has a nuclear program that could potentially arm the opponents of the US with nuclear weapons. Israel is the closest ally nation with the capability of preventing such proliferation.
   

The US provides military aid to literally hundreds of countries (which probably has something to do with the Marshall Plan) but Israel has a good case for military support.

None of the above reasons were religious. Please read the document linked in the OP in its entirety.

Also, note that some of that aid money was to support withdrawal of IDF forces from the West Bank territories and to support the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
a reply to: dashen

Why would they chant death to America? We're giving them billions of dollars per year. Lol.

Are you seriously suggesting that America should fund its enemies?

a reply to: chr0naut

Where did I even imply that? All I said was that Israel doesn't chant "death to America" because we give them billions of dollars every year. That says nothing about our enemies or whether we should fund them.

To answer your question: no we shouldn't fund our enemies, but that doesn't mean we should automatically fund Israel. Israel isn't who they say they are, they're liars. They're not even connected to the biblical Israel in any way genetically.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
a reply to: chr0naut

Where did I even imply that? All I said was that Israel doesn't chant "death to America" because we give them billions of dollars every year. That says nothing about our enemies or whether we should fund them.

To answer your question: no we shouldn't fund our enemies, but that doesn't mean we should automatically fund Israel. Israel isn't who they say they are, they're liars. They're not even connected to the biblical Israel in any way genetically.

You are looking at foreign policy through a religious filter.

There are Middle Eastern states and terrorist groups that would do harm to America and American interests, and that Israel holds in check. America is allocating aid in its own defense.

The "death to America" chant isn't a pop song. It is large numbers of people organized in hate campaigns. America is responding to that.

a reply to: chr0naut

No state in the Middle East is even close to being a threat to America, if they're into self-preservation that is. Sounds like propaganda to me, propaganda to keep the money flowing in both directions.

Here's the thing...

If a rich guy told me he'd give me a nice new home I'd be elated. I come to find out he had to bulldoze someone else's house though to build mine.

Once I've moved in, I discover that all my neighbors hate me. My neighbors constantly throw rocks at my new home, try to set fire to my back yard, and break in at night to kill me. My neighbors don't like me, it's pretty obvious.

So I'm surrounded by neighbors that want me dead. At this point... I'd probably just want to move someplace else.

On the other hand, if the rich man that built my home kept giving me a lot of money and weapons to protect myself, I might actually be tempted to not pack my bags and leave.

In the end though, I'd get tired of war and tired of defending my home from everyone else around me all the time. Even with all the money, weapons and support of other rich people -- I'd just want to live a peaceful life free from being hated by my neighbors.

That's just me though.

a reply to: chr0naut

Israel & the US have common democratic goals.

No we don't. Israel places Jews above all others Christians and Muslims are no better than second class citizens there. Israel is not even close to being a democracy.

Israel & the US have agreements to share results of military research and secrets.

Israel also sells our secrets on the black market. Some ally.

Israel is under sustained attack by terrorist forces (according to US definition of terrorism). Israel is surrounded by states that are hostile and have historically taken (unsuccessful) military action against it several times.

A majority of the time it is Israel that starts the trouble. Like when they started ethnic cleansing the land of Palestinians in 48 and when they started the war in 67 to grab more land.

Iran has a nuclear program that could potentially arm the opponents of the US with nuclear weapons.

This is just a flat out lie spread by Benny and debunked by the Mossad. If a nuclear race starts in the ME it's because of Israel and their illegal nuclear program.

a reply to: chr0naut

There are Middle Eastern states and terrorist groups that would do harm to America and American interests, and that Israel holds in check. America is allocating aid in its own defense.

Oh please where are the Israeli's during our war on terror? Oh yeah sitting at home on their butts. Israel has never fought any terrorist for America we are the ones fighting for them.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
a reply to: chr0naut

No state in the Middle East is even close to being a threat to America, if they're into self-preservation that is. Sounds like propaganda to me, propaganda to keep the money flowing in both directions.

What about Al Queda or the Islamic State guys. How are they funded (yeah, I know, the US in the past tried to play chess with Middle Eastern politics and got burned, but who funds them now, after September 11, 2001)? Where do they train combatants? Where are the majority of their recruits from? What are their stated goals in regard to America?

Sure, they are unlikely to take out the US in entirety but they can, each and every one of them individually, do damage. It only took 19 terrorists (and probably a handful of 'back room strategists') to carry out the September 11 attacks (and by the way, what part of the world were those 19 people from?).

a reply to: chr0naut

We gave ISIS tons of weapons and vehicles after we left Iraq, so in that sense WE (America) funded them in part. We also aided them by not attacking and stopping them before they grew so big. The whole ISIS thing reeks of a set up anyways. The way they came onto the scene so suddenly makes me think they were planted their with a goal in mind. By who? I have a few guesses but they're just guesses. Yes, Israel is one of those guesses and so is Saudi Arabia, both allies of America.

I don't believe the official story of 9/11 at all so where the supposed high jackers came from is irrelevant in my opinion. Give someone or their family enough money or security, they'll do about anything you ask them regardless of where they're from. It just so happens they were from the Middle East because that's where we wanted to be.

originally posted by: voyger2
In my opinion it's important for US public opinion to be ware of the massive support the US has been giving to an ally

As a fellow European I can assure you that most Americans are all to aware of the massive support their state gives to Israel. It is their only true ally in a very turbulent Islamic world. Israel is batting for the same side as Israel, it is a true democracy, it allows women to drive cars, it doesn't execute homosexuals, it is western, there are'ne any others with that outlook over there. They share intelligence too, they both have very real enemies out there that want both states wiped off the face of the Earth......... Of course they support each other.

originally posted by: buster2010
a reply to: chr0naut

Israel & the US have common democratic goals.

No we don't. Israel places Jews above all others Christians and Muslims are no better than second class citizens there. Israel is not even close to being a democracy.

Israel & the US have agreements to share results of military research and secrets.

Israel also sells our secrets on the black market. Some ally.

Israel is under sustained attack by terrorist forces (according to US definition of terrorism). Israel is surrounded by states that are hostile and have historically taken (unsuccessful) military action against it several times.

A majority of the time it is Israel that starts the trouble. Like when they started ethnic cleansing the land of Palestinians in 48 and when they started the war in 67 to grab more land.

Iran has a nuclear program that could potentially arm the opponents of the US with nuclear weapons.

This is just a flat out lie spread by Benny and debunked by the Mossad. If a nuclear race starts in the ME it's because of Israel and their illegal nuclear program.

The Israeli Declaration of Independence states the intention to:

"Ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex: It will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education, and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations".

and appeals to:

"the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions."

Because of the opposition to the state of Israel, this has been tempered somewhat. According to Chief Justice Barak the minimal definition of "a Democratic State" is:

"Recognition of the sovereignty of the people manifested in free and egalitarian elections; recognition of the nucleus of human rights, among them dignity and equality, the existence of separations of powers, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary system"

Therefore:

"A list of candidates or a candidate may not participate in the elections if the cancellation or denial of these characteristics is central and dominant among their ambitions and activities; and they act decisively to realize these ambitions; and provided all can be persuasively, clearly and unequivocally proved by the established evidence. "

Still democratic, it only excludes those who would destroy the democracy.

Of note is that there are currently 16 Arab members of the Knesset and in the past there have been 61 Arab members. Link to Wikipedia article.

I can also assure you that the reactor in Baghdad had the potential to produce nuclear weapons and, although you may say it was Netanyahu's idea, it was bombed (unsuccessfully) a year previous to Israel's 'Operation Opera' bombing by Iran in 'Operation Scorch Sword', for the same reasons. Of note was that Israeli prime minister of the time was Menachim Begin. Benjamin Netanyahu was not even a member of the Knesset until 1996, 15 years after Operation Opera, so it was hardly his idea.

Lets get something clear, Israel was granted statehood in November 29, 1947 by the UN Partition Plan. They proclaimed independence on 14 May 1948. The DAY AFTER, 15 May 1948, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and forces from Iraq attacked Israel. It is this same conflict that you are describing as "ethnic cleansing". Considering Israel had been in existence for just a day, what justification was there for those countries to invade?

The combined Arab force marshaled in Arab controlled areas and then pushed into Israeli territories. Israel defeated the combined Arab forces and claimed nearly 60% of the Arab territories from which it was attacked. In the shuffle, Egypt and Transjordan also annexed territories, like the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but no-one seems to mention that.

It has been estimated that over 700,000 Arabic people left the areas of conflict and somewhere between 3,000 to 13,000 were killed. This left about half a million ethnic Arabs in areas newly controlled by Israel. As an "ethnic cleansing", it failed.

originally posted by: dashen
Well gee let's see....
Israel is the only country for thousands of miles that doesn't chant death to America in the streets.
I wonder if that has anything to do with it?.

Wrong! They don't chant, they throw rocks! They try to kill. What should be punishment for it, by actual law in Israel. Shoot them or imprisionment for 20 years or more.

Even though this is the only reality I know, it still feels strange, foreign, and un-natural to me.

From the ancient times of Babylon, the Sumerians, Akkadians, Phoenicians and Etruscans.. there has been nothing but this war, and conquest with religion, and deception.

Yes some war is natural, but I don't know about to this extent.

Sometimes I really wonder if an advanced, war-crazed, ET civilization has come to infect and inhabit this planet.

originally posted by: dashen
a reply to: Flatfish

I'm sure it has nothing to do with a culture that promote jihad as one of its basic beliefs.
I guess you interpret jihad as hugging the infidels into submission?

Come take my home, that's been in my family for generations, so that some other group of people can move in and create a religious state diametrically opposed to my own beliefs and I'd probably be promoting jihad too.

You know, a lot like the American Indians did when we took their ancestral land and put them on reservations.

Jihad, Warpath, call it whatever you want, it's a natural reaction.