U.S. expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

And how is it benefitting the taxpayers? You think this money could have been used on education, healthcare etv? Whats next? US will go and slaughter the Palestinean terrorists themselves?
Then they wonder why the Muslim world holds anti-american feelings.

**(http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=%20234132) **
By Moti Bassok

Israel will today submit a request for $14 billion in economic aid to U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. President George Bush is expected to quickly approve the request - $4 billion in defense aid. and U.S. guarantees for $10 billion - with minor changes, Israeli sources said.

The sources said the Republican congressional majority would approve the aid within 3-6 months. After Finance Ministry director general Ohad Marani and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s bureau chief Dov Weisglass submit the request, it will be handled by both Israeli and U.S. officials who will determine the duration of the grant and guarantees, and various technical details. The guarantees will apparently be for five years but it is unclear how the defense aid will be laid out.

Sharon told Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz during a meeting eight days ago with Finance Minister Silvan Shalom, that as soon as the U.S. makes a positive decision on the defense grant, he will consent to some of Mofaz’s requests for budget increases. The sources say the grant will allow the government to direct defense spending to growth oriented projects.

Some treasury officials are not pleased with the request for such high guarantees, fearing that some of the money will not be directed to growth projects.

However, sources at the prime minister’s office say news of the aid will improve the country’s international financial standing, and could encourage both local and foreign investors to reconsider Israel. The U.S. aid will also substantially influence the strategic situation in the Middle East.

Sharon first raised the question of aid in his Washington meeting with Bush in mid-October. The formal request was completed by Marani’s staff in the past two weeks, with the explanation that Israel has increased military spending in the past two years because of the Palestinian uprising and the expected U.S. war with Iraq. Last week, Turkey and Jordan received generous American military aid of $2 billion to prepare for the possible war with Iraq.

The request for the guarantees - the option of getting improved loan terms from U.S. banks - is based on Israel’s need to stabilize the economy and pull out of recession.

Last week Washington approved Israel’s annual military aid of $2.16 billion for 2004, and is expected to approve its civil aid soon.

2

Re: U.S. expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)

*Israel will today submit a request for $14 billion in economic aid... Last week Washington approved Israel's annual military aid of $2.16 billion for 2004, and is expected to approve its civil aid soon. *

Is this $14 bn for the next five to ten years, or exclusively for the upcoming year 2003? i assume that this $14bn is on top of the $3bn that Israel receives anyways, on an annual basis, from the US.

Imagine. 14 billion dollars. Kofi Annan stated that $10bn was needed to make a substantial start in the fight against Aids in all of Africa. Poor Bush - has to make such difficult decisions: should he give $14bn in aid (on TOP of the $3bn he doles out annually anyways) to Arik Sharon, or spend $10bn to fight something that claims millions of African lives a year and will create millions of Aids orphans by 2020? Tough decision indeed.

3

Re: Re: U.S. expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Nadia_H: *
**Israel will today submit a request for $14 billion in economic aid... Last week Washington approved Israel's annual military aid of $2.16 billion for 2004, and is expected to approve its civil aid soon. *

Is this $14 bn for the next five to ten years, or exclusively for the upcoming year 2003? i assume that this $14bn is on top of the $3bn that Israel receives anyways, on an annual basis, from the US.

Imagine. 14 billion dollars. Kofi Annan stated that $10bn was needed to make a substantial start in the fight against Aids in all of Africa. Poor Bush - has to make such difficult decisions: should he give $14bn in aid (on TOP of the $3bn he doles out annually anyways) to Arik Sharon, or spend $10bn to fight something that claims millions of African lives a year and will create millions of Aids orphans by 2020? Tough decision indeed.
[/QUOTE]

Nadia the Aid Israel requested is $12 billion spread over 10 years. Currently the U.S. spends close to $1 billion a year in support of global efforts to combat AIDS. Giving Israel Aid has nothing to do with Money that goes to fight Aids, why you would make such an association is bizarre.

4

I think the US should increase the aid to fight aids but it doesn't mean we should reduce our aid to Israel. I think we can find other less deserving people and take it from their allotments.

5

Besides which, $10 billion is in loan guarantees. This isn't hard cash and will never leave the US treasury unless Israel defaults on the loans that it obtains from other sources. Israel has historically been a very good credit risk and has not defaulted on major financial obligations.

So, Nadia, providing loan guarantees to Israel doesn't reduce the US treasury such that actual aid dollars are reduced to any other project.

6

Bush has totally lost his plot...

The amount of military aid that goes to Israel is ridiculous....Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid since World War II
From 1949 through 1997, the total of U.S. aid to all of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean combined was $64 billion this is far less that the $71 billion Israel got in same period. (1949-1997) . Sub-Saharan and Latin American and Caribbean countries have a combined population of 1.142 billion people, while Israel’s mid-1999 population is 6.1 million people.

5Abi : And how is it benefitting the taxpayers?

Cost to U.S. taxpayers has been well over double of actual amount received by gov. of Israel. The only thing that will bring a halt on one disaster after another is to stop the money flow that Sharon needs to keep his war going. Which is veryyyy unlikely since Bush simply adores the so called 'Man of peace'.....

7

Re: Re: U.S. expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Nadia_H: *
**Israel will today submit a request for $14 billion in economic aid... Last week Washington approved Israel's annual military aid of $2.16 billion for 2004, and is expected to approve its civil aid soon. *

Is this $14 bn for the next five to ten years, or exclusively for the upcoming year 2003? i assume that this $14bn is on top of the $3bn that Israel receives anyways, on an annual basis, from the US.

Imagine. 14 billion dollars. Kofi Annan stated that $10bn was needed to make a substantial start in the fight against Aids in all of Africa. Poor Bush - has to make such difficult decisions: should he give $14bn in aid (on TOP of the $3bn he doles out annually anyways) to Arik Sharon, or spend $10bn to fight something that claims millions of African lives a year and will create millions of Aids orphans by 2020? Tough decision indeed.
[/QUOTE]

Nadia, do you think USA likes giving free money to Israel?

They have to, Jews control USA without a doubt.

Ariel Sharon himself said that we jews control america and the americans are aware of this.

8

it's in US interest to give money to Israel to have an ally in the Mid East.. what bakes my noodle though is that why then isn't this ally used in operations like the one in Iraq or Saudi Arabia or Syrian next.. why do young Americans have to risk their lives on the ground when we have Israel right there?

9

U.S expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)

.........and there goes my Tax Money.

10

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Pakistani Tiger: *
**U.S expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)*

.........and there goes my Tax Money.
[/QUOTE]

Your not the only person...

11

Re: U.S. expected to approve $14 billion aid request (to Isreal)

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by 5Abi:

Israel will today submit a request for $14 billion in economic aid to U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. President George Bush is expected to quickly approve the request - $4 billion in defense aid. and U.S. guarantees for $10 billion - with minor changes, Israeli sources said.

[/QUOTE]

$4 billion in Defence aid huh? So more American tax payer dollars to fund Israel's military occupation of the Palestinian territories?