“I support Israel,” says Jeff Jacoby, “which is why I don’t support US aid to Israel. That might seem a non sequitur, but it makes perfect sense. For decades, the traditional pro-Israel view has been that military aid from Washington – now $3.1bn a year – is a vital cornerstone of the US-Israel alliance. But the reality is that Israel has a booming economy today and has no need of American “charity”. The largesse “comes with strings attached”, and might actually be making Israel weaker. The US, for instance, stipulates that Jerusalem (i.e Israel) must spend around 75% of each year’s assistance in America. The aid thus subsidises US defence contractors, rather than helping Israel develop its domestic arms industry. What’s more, numerous Israeli military experts argue that an over-reliance on US-made jets and ever more advanced missile systems is skewing Israel’s defence priorities, preventing it from thinking creatively about ground strategies to tackle the terrorist threat. The aid also enables the US to exert pressure on Israeli decision-making, thus complicating the alliance. Israel is healthy enough to stand on its own two feet, and it should be a matter of pride for it to do so.” (Jeff Jacoby, The Boston Globe)
US military aid to Israel has nothing to do with Israel’s need or America’s international strategy. It is in the same league as militarising the American police at home. In short, it is a US taxpayer subsidy to the military-industrial complex, now employing huge numbers of people. It is second only in importance to the financial sector in terms of political cosseting. The endless wars in the Middle East – the war in Yemen being a good example – is being waged with American armaments that make that war possible, while making loads of cash for the arms makers.
Meanwhile, the military needs of Israel are simple. What is threatening them? There was a minor spill-over from Syria the other day but, basically, no one is going to invade them. If they had wanted to they would have done so bevore noe.
I completely agree. US military aid to Israel, like its aid to all other countries, should be dramatically scaled back- though abolishing it entirely may be too radical for now. America’s economy loses out from this, with the exception of the defence contractors. Were military aid cut, the money could be spent on investments in the American economy, boosting its long-term growth prospects. Conversely, military spending doesn’t increase productivity, even if it can increase employment in the short term.
My only concern here is the domestic political situation in Israel. The country seems to be moving further to the right. Were the US, with its at least nominal opposition to West Bank settlement expansion, to reduce its influence on Israel via the reduction in foreign aid, perhaps there would be fewer constraints on the ultra-Orthodox movement that sees what they refer to as Judea and Samaria, as there rightful homeland. And while I think Obama had too antagonistic a relationship with Netanyahu, at least Obama was able to sideline Netanyahu on issues like Iran. I can see the arguments from pro-Palestinian activists, that simply allowing Israel to get on with it comes at the expense of the Palestinian nationalist movement given the inequality of military capacity between the two sides.