GS Don Morris, Ph.D.
Israel and Washington DC have signed a new 10 year defense agreement. Under the new aid agreement, the U.S. will transfer $30 billion to Israel over 10 years, compared with $24 billion over the past decade.
Israel is slated to receive the first pay out in October 2008, amounting to $2.550 billion. That sum will grow each year by $150 million, until it reaches $3.1 billion in 2011. There will be multiple interpretations made about such a sum of money being “given†to Israel.
It is important to understand a couple of basic principles. First, up to 25% of these monies, and not a penny more, may be spent in local Israeli defense companies. The entire remainder of the monies MUST be spent purchasing American products. Second, politically, Israel is now securely in America’s “hip pocket†for at least the next decade. This precludes whatever American party is in power.
Many would ask, “So, what’s the problem� One method to keep an “ally†under control is to make said ally dependent upon the favored benefactor-the USA. The monies must basically be spent in America thus affording American workers employment and fringe benefit packages and aiding the US economy-this is done at the “expense†of Israel’s economy ability to prosper from the same dollar amounts. True, Israel secures quality products but at a significant economic and political cost. Another never spoken detail is the need for Israel to retrofit many of the products to configure with Israel’s needs. For example, calibration of radar systems requires time, effort and money on Israel’s military establishment. Do not for a moment think or believe that the “large sums†of monies are a gift-the benefits to American industry, economy and frankly front line targets is well worth the “minimum†dollar amount the USA could give.
The USA wants and I suggest must keep a major presence in the Middle East. It is far less expensive to fund the Israeli military/security establishment than it is to maintain such an entity of its own.
With these dollars come responsibilities and requirements. The requirements no longer balance off against the gain of the products. USA Administrations now feel they have the moral authority to require Israel to represent in action the USA’s needs in the Middle East. By this I mean that America believes Israel must acquiesce to every political demand made upon her. If America says a two-state solution is a must, then Israel has to agree and begin taking appropriate actions. Granted this debate is far from over but this is precisely the point. We, in Israel, are not allowed to debate the topic-we are told that it will happen. There are many examples of top-down control the USA has over Israel, well beyond the space of this piece. The most egregious examples have happened in the last couple of years. Israel was told to leave Gaza-our military and security people said no-America won. Look what has happened-Gazastan. America demanded and prevailed at the Rafah crossing. You may not know what this is or think that it is important. However, it is directly the prime example of Israel having to bow to the USA. Israel has NO, nada control of people going into or out of Gaza via the sea or into Egypt. The smuggling tunnels, once controlled by Israel, have multiplied and any kind of weapons, including missiles are now inside Gaza. These are pointed at us! We were told to stand down last summer in Lebanon. Imagine the USA being told to do this!
Although it is a matter of record that Fatah is no better than Hamas, that Abbas is no better than Arafat, we are told to give more and more to him in order to “prop him upâ€. Neither Abbas nor Fatah have to do anything, just accept and even make more demands of Israel. The USA is misrepresenting the truth about Abbas and Fatah’s moderation-both are not true. Israel “has to†release monies to a corrupt management team-for goodness sake they used a major part of the monies to pay off Hamas workers, code for armed terrorists, yearly salaries. Our Prime Minister is being “played†by Washington DC and because he is such a weak leader, because he is hanging onto his power by a thread, he concedes to America’s every demand. There is so many more examples-suffice it to say, Israel is an “indebted stateâ€!
Today Israel is in great danger. We are afraid to upset Syria as they mass battalions of soldiers along our border and as they place thousands of rockets on the border aimed at us. We are so “afraid†the Israeli Defense Minister, Barak, will not authorize dispersement of gas masks to the Israeli citizens. Yes, the same former PM Barak who left a power vacuum in Lebanon some years ago when he pulled us out in the dead of night. Hizzbollah immediately filled the power space and the rest is history. Israel too easily followed orders and yielded to the United Nations actions. Today, we have 20,000 rockets pointed at all of our cities, a revitalized and more entrenched Hizzbollah. The brokered agreements by the USA, EU and along with our enemies and our perceived inability to stand tall among the edicts that have endangered us have placed us in amore dangerous position than we were in this time last year.
I await a leadership to emerge that will make the necessary changes in our internal operations enabling us to exercise what is truly best for the country of Israel. Not only is this possible it is necessary for our very long-term survival.
Yamit
Thank you for your very informative comment.
It is tough for major Jewish organizations and pro-Israel advocacy groups to be critical of this arms deal package that suggests increased military funding for Israel, while the package arms the Saudis with advanced weapon systems and also arms Egypt when Israel’s Foreign Minister Tipi Livni praises the package – see: JP article: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1186557458281&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull and PM Olmert throws in his two cents of support as well – See Herald Tribune article: Israel says U.S. aid to Saudi military is understandable at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/29/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-US-Arms.php
I wonder just what B’Nai Brith, AJC and AIPAC did have to say about this Bush initiative.
The Israeli historical record of capitulation to America is too long to enumerate here, suffice it to say it did not begin nor will it end with Olmert.
Here is one that has received little press: Barak when he was PM gave (yes gave) the PA the off shore mineral rights to Gaza. This After BP under license to Israel found large deposits of Natural Gas off shore. It is the same Gas field an Israeli consortium found off Ashkelon. Now The PA not having any status a an independent country has no legal rights . All rights under Intl. Law go to the Occupying power ie; Israel. These fields are now worth at todays prices over 20 billion dollars. Barak is now a multi millionaire? makes one think! Israel not wanting to put all of its energy eggs in a single basket contracted Egyptian gas which sort of screwed its own Israeli consortium. Who profits from purchase of Egyptian gas and Oil? There is a short list for any one curious enough to check it out. Note: we already had the Egyptian fields both oil and gas and gave it up for a piece of paper and a FLAG in cairo. Show me another stupid country in the world who would give up its energy source, strategic depth, Arming it enemy to the teeth and purchasing from same enemy energy resources that were already under our control?
Since International agreements are only as good as perceived national interests by either party to abide by them The arms agreements with America for Israel can be suspended in a snap if America feels it is in their interest to do so. They have suspended it with regards to Israel in the past and will do so in the future.
A few years Ago Israel contracted to supplu it version of American AWACS to chins which with the chinese options could have garnered Israel close to six billion dollars and opened up new channels of arms sales and stronger ties with emerging giant China. Israel was forced to renege on the deal hurt our relations not only with china, but cost Israel many more billions in deals not only with China but with other interested and real and potential customers. America has a veto on all arms sales by Israel and sanctions and penalties if we sell American technology or products containing American technology to third parties without American approval.
America being a normal country supports its own industries and Industrial Corps. Israel screws its own Business and Industrial assets in favor of State Dinners and Photo Ops for its Pygmy Leaders.
a few years ago El Al wanted to buy Air Bus instead of Boeing as the terms and Price were much better. All of Congress and the clinton administration came down hard on Israel throwing it up to Israel how much we owed America and it would not be prudent to not buy Boeing. Israel bought Boeing. There are no free rides and sometimes what seems to be free is far more expensive than refusing the seeming free ride.
Our Army is addicted to America and American Mil. Hardware. The American connection has provided Israelis in and out of the Mil. with Big Perks, Cushy jobs during and after Mil. Service. Jobs in American mil/ind/complex. and Hi Tech companies. The Israeli Min. of Defense has a Purchasing Unit stationed in the USA numbering over a thousand people along with their familys. with 2000 dollar a month rent stipend among others. normal tour for these guys is two years so almost everybody here gets a chance at America if they stay long enough in the Min. of Defense.
The American connection has made Israelis; Lazy, Addicted,Corrupt,Thinking inside the box instead of outside the box,it has made us Dependent not only on arms but also the free will to chose and deceide what is best for us as a people and as a State Nation. America cannot be blamed when its small time politician leaders refuse to say NO, Not this time, Sorry but no thank you! So they continue to screw their own Industry, Businesses, and Workforce infavor of Americas. Then justify it all with saying we were pressured and had no choice. Short term gains? over long term independence and strength.
This is built in defect of Democracies where politicians can only think in time references between elections 2-3-4-5 year periods. Longer terms of thinking are beyond the pale of their individual capacities.
Ted,
There are no physical shackles. It is the quest to limit responsibility that underlies this policy of accepting American gifts. Israeli inner circles welcome the reduction in degrees of freedom of action that are now available to them, thus making their decision-making responsibility easier. Now it is a process of making making lemonade of bitter lemons. I can hear it now! “It was the best we could do under the ‘circumstances.'” The Zionist enterprise was not entered into in order to capitulate to outside forces, but to let the Jews participate in their own fateful decisions. Olmert has truly ushered in the Post-Zionist era. Jeremiah and Isaiah must be turning in their graves.
What is missing from what is disclosed is the fine print. After all this is a “gift”. Can we not speand our own money on whatever we want. Are there restrictive covenants preventing us from developing other technologies with our own money or for that matter competing with the US for arms sales. Can we produce replacement parts to give us independence. Can we cancell the deal if we want i.e. stop taking the “gift” in order to lift our restrictions. Or are we locked in.
We know nothing about our shackles.