At the entrance to Jerusalem, there is a large monument in memory of John F. Kennedy, a symbol of American glory and the friendship between Israel and the U.S. Represented by 51 columns converging on a circle, it is suggested that the 51st column represents Israel. Until the 1950s, France was Israel’s closest ally; during the 1956 Sinai War, led by Israel, France, and the British, it supplied Israel with its first jet aircraft (initially the Fouga-Magister, then more powerful models). The U.S. (along with the USSR) issued an ultimatum demanding an immediate ceasefire to protect Nasser’s regime. France, under a socialist government at the time, also assisted in the development of nuclear weapons—which now number several hundred nuclear missiles! Things changed afterward when the U.S. took over on a massive scale. Judge for yourself (these figures are taken from the classic study conducted by …….
Since 2005, direct financial aid from the U.S.—primarily for military purposes—has totaled $154 billion, mostly in the form of grants. Begun mainly during the Kennedy administration, this aid was accompanied by a promise from the U.S. President to Golda Meir (then Minister of Foreign Affairs) “that the U.S. would intervene directly should Israel be threatened.” Thus, in 1964, hundreds of the most powerful tanks of the era (M48A) were delivered via Germany to avoid the wrath of Arab countries. Since 1976, Israel has been the top recipient of U.S. aid. Better yet, a rule established by successive administrations since then stipulates that aid is disbursed in the first quarter (rather than throughout the year), allowing the Israelis to earn interest on the funds received before using them to purchase weapons when the need arises ($660 million in 2004). Since then, Israel has also been the only country to receive state-of-the-art aircraft manufactured by U.S. factories—which no other country in the world has access to—such as the famous F-15s and F-16s, Black Hawk helicopters, “smart bombs,” and, as of last week, 1-metric-ton bombs, the most sophisticated bombs that Netanyahu and his clique of far-right rulers are likely to use soon in Iran—for example, shortly before the November elections—to destroy the nuclear weapons currently under construction. It’s worth noting in this regard that the Israeli intelligence services—by far the best in the world—are also used to feed U.S. leaders fake news, such as the claims about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Israel is the only country entitled to receive substantial sums to build its own defense industry, even if its products surpass those of the U.S. in quality and compete in the export market—Israel having since become one of the world’s leading arms sellers, ranked 7th or 8th globally and, relative to its population, far ahead of France (ranked 3rd or 4thglobally). In addition to government aid, Israel receives $2 billion annually in private aid in the form of donations from wealthy Americans—the Bronfmans, Rothschilds, and Adelsons (owner of casinos in Las Vegas). U.S. evangelical organizations also contribute significantly. In a unique situation, unparalleled in any other country, these donations are tax-deductible and are therefore partially funded by U.S. taxpayers. Private U.S. donations have made it possible to settle the occupied territories in the West Bank and to finance the arrival of Jewish immigrants in Israel. It is important to note that an organization—the KKL—welcomes every Jewish immigrant by providing them with a home and material assistance (my family benefited from this in 1957). The KKL (Keren Kayemet LeIsrael) and the WIZO (World Zionist Organization) receive these tax-exempt funds directly.
In short, it is clearly justified to consider the U.S. as primarily responsible for the strength of the Israeli military and, consequently, for the massacres and destruction that this military commits in Gaza or the West Bank (renamed Judea and Samaria), as well as in the Golan Heights—part of which was renamed in Trump’s honor! On the day justice is served against Netanyahu at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), it would be fitting—though highly unlikely—for Trump to stand alongside him.
Mearsheimer and Walt- The Israel lobby and US foreign policy. 2007 Penguin Eds.
Photo : Flickr uploader Jerandsar (JerandSar Gimbel)
