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[ponpo]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/uk-iran-nuclear-israel-usa-idUKKCN0ST2SV20151104

Israel has made an initial request for its annual U.S. defence aid to increase to as much as $5 billion (£3.25 billion) when its current aid package, worth an average $3 billion a year, expires in 2017, U.S. congressional sources said on Wednesday.

Israel wants $5 billion per year in military aid for 10 years, for a total of $50 billion, the congressional aides said. It has been signalling that it wants more money to counter threats it says will arise as a result of the international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, which Israel's government has staunchly opposed.

Congressional and other U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations on the new aid deal were still in the early stages and the proposal is not yet at the stage where it has been formally brought to Congress, which must approve the funds.

"First they have to negotiate with the White House," one senior congressional aide said of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit Washington for talks with President Barack Obama next week, when the package is likely to be discussed and its broad outlines may be agreed.

Israeli government spokesmen declined to provide details on the defence aid talks.

One U.S. official said the Obama administration was unlikely to fully meet the Israeli request, and predicted the sides would settle for an annual sum of between $4 billion and $5 billion.

Israel has also secured hundreds of millions of dollars in additional U.S. funding for missile defence in recent years.

Netanyahu put the brakes on aid talks with Washington in the run-up to the Iran deal that was reached in July, signalling his displeasure with the negotiations. Before he did so, Israeli and U.S. officials said they were looking at a new aid package worth $3.6 billion to $3.7 billion annually.

Both sides have said that figure could rise after the Iran deal, which will place curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for an easing of sanctions against Tehran.

Israel argues that Tehran's financial windfall from sanctions relief will allow it to increase backing for proxies that are hostile to Israel in Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere - a fear Washington says is exaggerated.

 

[Shaanyboi]

And in return.....

...

 

[gaugebozo]

Negotiations? What do we get out of this?

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

And in return.....

...

Netanyahu will continue to insult the president.

Probably a bargain as far as congress is concerned.

 

[Kysen]

lol Israel has the US by the balls. That is a ridiculous sum.

 

[Tagyhag]

"You guys fucked up the Iran agreement, so give us more money"

Well we don't want to look like anti-semites do we?

 

[Surface of Me]

I honestly dont know why/how Israel and the US are so close. Can soneone fill me in?

 

[Drencrom]

Why does the US even put up with Israel's shit at this point? The work of lobbyists?

 

[Black Republican]

100% goes to the military?

 

[Madness]

And in return.....

...

Probably Israel spying on US intelligence and then sharing that with pro-Israeli members of Congress who will then use it to insult their own President.

This is just laughable. Israel is single handedly the most powerful nation in the middle east, and I'd even go so far as to maybe one of the top 6 militaries in the world, and it has more nuclear weapons than even India and Pakistan, and yet they need $5 billion in aid for security.

Congress cannot pass a budget or agree and the government will shut down, but during the last Israeli bombing campaign of Gaza, they unanimously came together to quickly give Israel almost $350 million+ in arms to replenish their military.

 

[Chariot]

I honestly dont know why/how Israel and the US are so close. Can soneone fill me in?

The USA hates muslims so much they need an ally close to them. Israel is a important potential base for the USA and Israel knows it.

 

[kmag]

Negotiations? What do we get out of this?

The US taxpayer not much, the US arms industry get 73.7% of that money

Israel is the only FMF recipient which gets to spend a proportion of it's US granted money on natively produced arms (26.3% of the FMF money). So US taxpayer money is in part subsiding the Israeli arms industry which then competes with US companies. As the amount allowed to be spent on domestically produced arms is a fixed percentage of the total, the more the US gives Israel the more Israel can prop up it's own arms industry.

 

[matt05891]

I honestly dont know why/how Israel and the US are so close. Can soneone fill me in?

I really don't know either. I have come to the ignorant conclusion that it is religion. I feel they provide nothing for the US except that it holds the Holy Land.

 

[lenos16]

And in return.....

...

They will continue to call Obama an anti-semite and the VP a kindergartner. I thought Germans were masochistic, but you Americans are on a whole new level. However keep in mind that 75% or so of the money is being used to buy stuff from Lockheed and co. so it's also a good way to sent money to american (f*** yeah!!) arms manufacturers.

 

[GSG Flash]

If I was Obama, I would send them a counter offer of $0.

That $5 billion could be much better spent at home.

 

[ponpo]

And in return.....

...

US weapons manufacturers get a customer with lots of money to spend ~

 

[GavinGT]

I really don't know either. I have come to the ignorant conclusion that it is religion. I feel they provide nothing for the US except that it holds the Holy Land.

We need an ally in the region.

 

[ZiZ]

Israel has made an initial request for its annual U.S. defence aid to increase to as much as $5 billion

the Obama administration was unlikely to fully meet the Israeli request, and predicted the sides would settle for an annual sum of between $4 billion and $5 billion.

the US needs to learn how to haggle.

why ask the Obama Administration when they can ask any of the upcoming presidential candidates who are more than willing get into an ass kissing contest to gain Israel's approval.

http://forward.com/opinion/national/324013/how-i-would-rebuild-ties-to-israel-and-benjamin-neta/

 

[FlutterPuffs]

and in return the will get intelligence information from Israel on nearby middle eastern countries.

Yeah, Israel has US by the balls. Suck to be you guys.

Obama's Iran deal was such an amazing 'fuck you' though.

 

[Madness]

I honestly dont know why/how Israel and the US are so close. Can soneone fill me in?

After World War II, Israel was formed with the majority of power and support provided by the British Empire and France. But with their superpower status waning, the United States becoming the dominant nation in the world, Israel needed a stronger ally. So they increased support and lobbying in the US. AIPAC is one of the most dominant and most powerful lobbyist organizations in the world. They provide a worldwide network of support and monetary assistance in lieu of public and political support for Israel.

Additionally, as the largest Christian nation in the world, with a substantially large and influential evangelical population, many Americans believe in Israel as the Holy Land, to be protected from Muslims and where the end of days will happen. So for them, not only is Israel a stable democracy in a sea of dictatorial or authoritarian nations, but one that has special meaning for Christians. It helps provide the US with military support and intelligence in the region, and is one of the first lines of support for them in the middle east.

And it's just built up over the years. Influential Israelis and Jews in the US often put their support behind candidates who promise to support Israel, Jewish organizations like AJC, the ADL are influential, and then lobby groups like AIPAC make sure that in order to get their support, they support Israel unequivocally.

 

[Unknown One]

Need that 5 billion to steal more land.

 

[Condom]

After World War II, Israel was formed with the majority of power and support provided by the British Empire and France. But with their superpower status waning, the United States becoming the dominant nation in the world, Israel needed a stronger ally. So they increased support and lobbying in the US. AIPAC is one of the most dominant and most powerful lobbyist organizations in the world. They provide a worldwide network of support and monetary assistance in lieu of public and political support for Israel.

Additionally, as the largest Christian nation in the world, with a substantially large and influential evangelical population, many Americans believe in Israel as the Holy Land, to be protected from Muslims and where the end of days will happen. So for them, not only is Israel a stable democracy in a sea of dictatorial or authoritarian nations, but one that has special meaning for Christians. It helps provide the US with military support and intelligence in the region, and is one of the first lines of support for them in the middle east.

And it's just built up over the years. Influential Israelis and Jews in the US often put their support behind candidates who promise to support Israel, Jewish organizations like AJC, the ADL are influential, and then lobby groups like AIPAC make sure that in order to get their support, they support Israel unequivocally.

Why shouldn't Israel be Christian according to these evangelicals? Shit doesn't even make sense

 

[TheDrizzlerJ11]

We're just using Israel to keep the lights on for the messiah, jokes on you guys.


Weren't they originally for the deal?

 

[ponpo]

Why shouldn't Israel be Christian according to these evangelicals? Shit doesn't even make sense

Jews returning to Israel is a prerequisite for some second coming prophecies in Christianity.

 

[baudelinog]

Amazing, just amazing...

 

[Zaph]

...it wants more money to counter threats it says will arise as a result of the international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme...

fucking lol

I wonder what creates more security problems, access to monitor nuclear facilities in exchange for lifted sanctions, or stealing people's land and blocking their legal/political protest so they resort to violence?

 

[Madness]

Why shouldn't Israel be Christian according to these evangelicals? Shit doesn't even make sense

Many of these people also believe that the return of 'Jews' to the Holy Land is a prerequisite for the second coming of Jesus and the biblical prophecy, and then that he would convert them to Christians.

 

[iamaustrian]

for comparison sakes: The entire austrian military budget per year is around 2.5 billion euros...

 

[le.phat]

Why does the US support Israel's military Ops financially when they commit really terrible stuff on an almost weekly base ?

Why does the US support Israel's military Ops at all ?

How is this a negotiation ? Why doesn't the use simply tell Israel to fuck right off ?

In fact, why doesn't Israel get sanctioned for all the bullshit they're pulling in the Gaza region ?

 

[Kenshin001]

Why does the US support Israel's military Ops financially when they commit really terrible stuff on an almost weekly base ?

Why does the US support Israel's military Ops at all ?

How is this a negotiation ? Why doesn't the use simply tell Israel to fuck right off ?

In fact, why doesn't Israel get sanctioned for all the bullshit they're pulling in the Gaza region ?

I Imagine because Israel develops defence tech that the US uses like reactive armour and laser systems. Some of the tech you use probably was developed in Israel since MS, Google, Apple etc have research labs there. Doesn't really warrant $5 billion but Israel is a lot more valuable than most other countries the US gives aid to.

 

[RedShift]

for comparison sakes: The entire austrian military budget per year is around 2.5 billion euros...

I'm really far from a fan of Israel's govt/military but I think it's fair that Israel would need to spend a lot more on their military than a landlocked country right in the middle of Europe.

 

[Mr Swine]

I guess in the next ten years or so they want $10b and more and more or can USA say no to it?

 

[Ayato Kanzaki]

We need an ally in the region.

For what purpose? Do they have any essential export product or strategic assets? What are the Israeli doing for you that the Saudi, as another ally, wouldn't do?

On the other hand, your blind support to Israel is generating a lot of animosity with the arab nations.

 

[massoluk]

Fuck off, I don't want any of my tax goes into Israeli military.

 

[Marvie_3]

Fuck off Israel

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

I'm not American, but I can see the merits in supporting allies. That being said, taking a couple billion out of that aid budget might do some wonderful things like, oh I dunno, lowering college fees or having nationalised healthcare.

 

[Oppo]

We need an ally in the region.

I thought the US has a bunch of allies in the region. Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE etc?

 

[Deleted member 125677]

How many dead palestinian children does $5billion get you nowadays?

Fucking ridiculous, if any other middle eastern state had acted the way Israel does, they would have been embargoed by the US or worse

 

[Kenshin001]

I thought the US has a bunch of allies in the region. Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE etc?

They are more fair weather friends I think. They do not share American ideals. Most people in those countries hate America.

 

[Aztechnology]

I thought the US has a bunch of allies in the region. Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE etc?

A non Muslim one apparently.

 

[Joni]

I'm glad to see Obama is a good negotiator. Giving Israel only $4.999.999.999,99 will teach them!

 

[NumberTwo]

Consider what that money could go to in the states. It only makes my blood pressure go up when thinking about it.

 

[Snaku]

Get fucked is the first response that comes to mind.

 

[Red Hood]

Of course, here's $5 billion so you can keep suppressing the Palestinians.

The West - and more specifically the US - are Israel's bitch, and that's not going to change. Being a small country, I wonder why. Who controls the strings behind the scenes?

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

15.3 million children in America dont get enough to eat. Im pretty sure 5 billion a year would be better spent feeding them.

 

[Trail Guide]

They better be building a metal gear for that kind of money.

 

[jon bones]

I thought the US has a bunch of allies in the region. Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE etc?

"not gross brown ppl"

 

[HazySaiyan]

All that oppression costs money you know...

 

[freeofgreed]

I honestly dont know why/how Israel and the US are so close. Can soneone fill me in?

They are the only country in the region that doesn't despise us. The whole US/Israel partnership really started during the cold war as the US wanted an ally there to counter soviet expansion in the region.

 

[Bel Marduk]

I honestly dont know why/how Israel and the US are so close. Can soneone fill me in?

Israel buys a lot of weapons from the US. (Using our tax dollars.)

There are a lot of religious fundamentalists in the US who believe that Christ will return in Israel.

For those of us who aren't military contractors or fanatics, Israel is a leech and a burden on the US. Its absolutely preposterous that they are requesting this much in military aid and that they might actually get it.

People should be out in the streets protesting this.