While Taxpayers Get Coal & Switches, American Allies’ Stockings Stuffed With U.S. $$
As state governments face “the worst budget crisis since World War II,” a foreign state—Israel—has confidently delivered “a special aid request” for an additional $14 billion from U.S. taxpayers, including $10 billion in loan guarantees to “ease its economic plight.”
Exclusive to American Free Press
By Christopher Bollyn
While Americans are being asked to get by with less as their state governments are forced to drastically cut services in the face of “the worst budget crisis since World War II,” a foreign nation is confident it will continue to get even more benefits from U.S. largesse.
Despite a rising tide of red ink across the United States, Israeli officials confidently submitted a “special request” for an additional $14 billion in economic aid to U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice on Nov. 25.
President Bush is “expected” to quickly approve the request—$4 billion in additional defense aid and loan guarantees for $10 billion—with minor changes, Israeli sources said. “The Israeli prime minister’s office said the discussion about the request ‘was entirely friendly and positive and a response was promised soon.’ ”
This would be on top of Israel’s annual gifts from taxpayers, which officially exceeds $3 billion but amounts to $10 billion a year when the manipulation of figures—such as U.S. “interest payments” on the aid—is factored in.
Any additional aid to Israel will require congressional approval. In order for Israel to receive the $14 billion aid package in the 2003 financial year, special budgetary legislation will be necessary.
The U.S. media apparently considered the huge financial request from Israel to be a “non-story” on Nov. 26. Although Reuters wire service carried the story, it only appeared in the Israeli press, The New Zealand Herald and The Washington Post, which reported the extraordinary request on page 24.
The Reuters article contained a half-truth which said, “Israel, which has never defaulted on its loans, would find it easier to raise funds with U.S. backing.”
What the Reuters article did not say was that Congress has “forgiven” every loan that Israel has received and put the entire cost, principal and interest, on the shoulders of U.S. taxpayers.
U.S. aid to Israel has cost U.S. taxpayers $140 billion, according to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA). Of this amount some $50 billion has been in interest payments on the borrowed funds that have been given to Israel. The total cost per Israeli is about $25,000 according to WRMEA, which told AFP that these figures, not the latest or most complete, are probably much higher today.
What many Americans do not realize is that Israel, with a population of some 6 million, has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of more than $20,000, higher than oil-rich Kuwait or Saudi Arabia ($10,600), and higher than many European nations.
What U.S. papers were writing about on Nov. 26 was that Americans will soon see hikes in state university tuitions, cuts in school teachers’ ranks and reductions in health care for the poor as states try to solve massive budget crises.
“It’s a pretty dire outlook,” Raymond Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association, said about the financial situation facing the states.
Scheppach said his “back-of-the-envelope” calculation shows states collectively will incur budget shortfalls of $40 billion in fiscal 2003. That’s down from the fiscal-2002 shortfall of about $50 billion, but the back-to-back years of red ink add up to the worst budget crisis since World War II, Scheppach said.
Because state budgets are likely to remain bleak for at least two more years, many states will have to institute “draconian” cuts in Medicaid benefits, boost higher-education tuitions and cut state-supported workers, including teachers, he said.
ISRAELI MILITARY AID INCREASED
Meanwhile, the Department of State announced that the Bush administration would increase 2004 military aid to Israel to $2.16 billion, compared with $2.1 billion in 2003 and $2.04 billion in 2002.
The promised increase stems from an agreement under which military aid to Israel will be increased by $60 million a year while civilian aid will be reduced by $120 million. Military aid will reach $2.4 billion by 2008, while civilian aid will be completely halted.
Ministry of Finance director general Ohad Marani told the Israeli journal Globes that Israel’s request for aid from the U.S. was “designed to help us cope with Israel’s current military difficulties.
“The request is a result of the security situation,” Marani stated. “This situation and the recession in the West are causing us temporary economic difficulties, particularly in the high-tech industry. Israel’s growth is negative. We’re under a heavy defense burden, and we need special aid.”
At the same time, Washington is increasing foreign giveaways to other foreign nations to buy friends and cover for its crimes. Beneficiaries of increased hand-outs include Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan to name a few.
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